Only Little Girls
by gangsterdorothy
Summary: One day, Bella wandered into the woods and came across a mysterious creature. Captivated by it, she begins her long association with it. But where will it take her? A short fantasy fairytale story.
1. Bella at 9

A/N: I should be writing other things (BtE, Twific gift exchange), but this kept eating away at my mind. I knew I had to get this down now.

Originally, I was trying to come up with an idea for a TT25 one shot, and this came into mind. But it kept expanding and expanding and I knew I had to make this a stand alone piece. So, this will be a very short story. More than likely five chapters.

This will be my only A/N throughout the story, to keep the illusion~

This is a Fantasy AU, kind of a fairytale quality. I hope you like it.

My beta, Bublichka is the best. Also, I still don't own this.

* * *

Bella at 9

Bella had been warned by her mother and father about entering the vast forest behind her house. The behemoth skyscraping trees could pull anyone in, but a child…well a child could be lost inside forever.

By nature, she was very accident prone; she had been known to trip on air and injure herself. Wandering into an area with uneven surfaces conjures up deadly situations for Bella Swan.

Bella's father had drawn a big neon orange line on the grass a few feet before the open woods to give Bella a guideline as to how far she could go.

"Don't go past this line, Bells. I've seen some crazy shit happen in those trees. I might not get to you in time to help you out." Charlie emphasized, gesturing to the fictitious fence he had outlined.

Before that barrier was put up, Bella had wandered off one day, chasing a firefly in the dusk hours. Its little green glow had her full attention; she had wondered how a brilliantly bright light could be emitted from a tiny animal. She marveled over what kind of filament could be inside this insect.

She wondered if the bug was flying toward its family of bugs with different colors; she would've loved to have seen a purple or blue one. She had not watched where she was going and tripped over a rock, scraping her knee.

Blood trickled like a river down her shin, the iron smell hitting her senses. Bella had a delayed reaction to the pain and only started crying when she saw it reach her white socks. The porous cotton soaked up the liquid, the army of red taking over the bright white.

Bella sat on the very rock she stumbled over, watching the battle between the two colors. She wasn't sure if she was intrigued by the quick pace the blood took over her sock or how fascinating it was that blood kept seeping from her open wound.

By the time Bella had watched all of the blood dry and clot on her legs, she had been found.

Renee grabbed her wrist. "You sure know how to scare me." She chastised her, since it seemed like the entire town of Forks had taken the time out to look for this nine year old girl. "No more woods for you."

Like a stubborn and curious child, telling one what not to do had the opposite effect.

A few short days after her trek into the woods, Bella overlooked the silly line in the sand and trumped on through the trees.

She wasn't sure what drew her to it, but there was a tug that she could not ignore.

Soon, she reached the mammoth rock she had fallen over once before and sat down. Something in her told her to wait. Wait for whatever it was.

She had no qualms about sitting there quietly, but she wished a bird would chirp once in a while. There were usually birds all around when she came to this spot in the forest. That particular day though, they seemed to have been chased away.

In her spare time, Bella had been listening to bird sound CD's and cassettes from the library. Bella had thought it a helpful tool to know what kind of bird was in the area by identifying it by its calls and chirps. If she had ever lost her way, the warning sounds from the _spotted towhee_ could guide her home.

She enjoyed bird watching as a hobby as well. There were endless species of this creature and she hoped to have the chance to set her eyes on them someday. The picture books and endless reference pages on them would be nothing compared to feeling the soft feathers under her fingertips.

But, there was neither sight nor sound; it seemed all of the animals that usually inhabit the trees and ground had retreated elsewhere.

Then, there was a noise that disturbed her silent revere, but it was not one of the flapping wings of any bird.

There was a rustling so small, that if she weren't in the all too quiet atmosphere she wouldn't have heard it approach.

As soon as it came into view, Bella's vision became blurry. It felt like someone had placed wrongly prescribed eyeglasses on her. Bella whimpered, trying to rub her eyes to see properly in front of her. She started panicking when her eyes would not focus.

"Help. Please someone help, I can't see!" Bella stood up, stretching her arms out in front of her, letting her arms see when she could not.

"It is only temporary." This…creature soothed her from a distance away. "You will be normal, once you leave the forest."

She opened her mouth to speak, her pink lips forming a perfect 'O'. Why was it doing this to her? "Please, fix my eyes. I can't see where I am going." Bella, like every child, was told about stranger danger and to never share any information about themselves. "Let me see or I will tell someone." Her voice grew higher and higher, emphasizing her point.

Through Bella's eyes, she saw what looked like a blurry finger come to its lips, silently asking her to keep its presence a secret. "Only little girls can see."

"I _can't_ see you though. How could I know what to tell people if I can't see you?" Bella, stubborn as the trees rooted into the ground, questioned further. "Why is that?"

"Only _special_ little girls. They mustn't tell anyone this is where I stay." The creature's voice sounded like the most crystal clear of voice one heard in audio books. It soothed better than a lullaby or bedtime story. Bella wouldn't have minded listening to it every night before she went into a deep slumber.

"But why do you live in the woods? Do you not have a house in town?" Bella had no concept of anyone being without a place to sleep. Did this creature not have a family? Food or books to read?

"In time a home will make itself known. This residence does not know of its existence yet. It'll take years to gestate."

Bella scrunched her face together, figuring out this strange man's puzzle. How does a home not know it exists; Homes are built, not born like humans.

"Gestate?"

"Flourish, nurture, grow." This creature handed her many options that she might be familiar with.

"I hope your home grows very soon…" Bella inclined him to tell her his name.

"My name will not be known to you just yet, Isabella." Her name rolled off his tongue as smooth as silk rubbed along a cheek. "I'm afraid we must part ways, but my return will not be long after this visit. Be gracious, dear Isabella."

And like that, the creature disappeared behind a tree. Bella's vision quickly returned little by little once the creature had gone its own way. She ran to the tree she had vaguely seen him vanish behind, hoping he had only tricked her and was merely hiding. But when she checked there? Nothing.

How had this creature escaped so quiet and quick?

How did this creature know her name?

Why was he a creature to her and not simply a man who lived in the woods?

Had she imagined this creature in the woods? It would not be surprising.

**////////////////////**

Pondering everything she had encountered, Bella slowly walked back to her house.

When Bella was five months old, her first words were spoken. Her parents weren't even sure they were real words as they were in Italian. Neither Renee nor Charlie spoke the language nor had the nationality in their veins.

When Bella was starting out her schooling, she skipped kindergarten at age five and went right to second grade.

In a town so small, even a bright little girl was the subject of scrutiny. Why was this girl so smart? People often speculated how such an intelligent girl came from a ho-hum-barely-above-a-high-school education household.

Her parents were average, non-contributing members of society. Renee was a new age-y type, often the subject of rumors around town herself. Renee was a good twenty years younger than her husband, Charlie. How did Charlie, a graying paunchy man capture the heart of a beautiful free spirited twenty something Renee?

One rumor was that she was a mail order bride. However, there were far too many occasions where Renee addressed Charlie in public freely. Plus, Charlie was a cop and mail order brides weren't exactly legal. Another one was Charlie had accidentally impregnated Renee and decided to wed her. He had been a single man for a long time and townsfolk wondered if he would ever take a wife.

No one ever considered the option that Charlie and Renee genuinely fell in love, decided to settle down and have a child.

When she was seven years old, Bella began her friendship with a few imaginary accomplices. Her biggest comrade was a girl named Annabelle and this friend continued to stay with her through the years. She would escort Annabelle throughout the house, allowing her to touch surfaces and acquaint herself with objects.

One day, Bella showed Annabelle the antique stove that Renee had bought for the kitchen. "Annabelle, this is the stove. Mother says we shouldn't play with it or we will get burned." Bella glanced around her, keeping a lookout for adults that might interrupt what she wanted to do. "But what parents don't know won't hurt them." She whispered into Annabelle's ear.

Bella turned the knob on the stove, clicking it on. She held Annabelle's hand out for her to touch the fire. "Don't be afraid." Her lispy little voice was supposed to encourage her imaginary friend.

At that moment, Renee's heels entered the hallway. Renee stood agape at the sight of her daughter, Bella cradling air as her hand inched closer to the hot blue flame.

"Isabella Marie Swan, what in heavens do you think you are doing?" Renee slapped Bella's hand away. Bella did not cry, for she knew that she was in the wrong. She knew she would be punished.

"Mother, I was showing my friend Annabelle the stove." Bella opened her arms out to the girl next to her, looking at her friend.

But, Annabelle was not next to Bella anymore. Bella's face fell and turned to horror when she saw her imaginary friend on the floor, her hands covering her eyes.

"Annabelle!" Bella knelt down, trying to pry her friend's hands apart for a glimpse at why she had fallen to the ground.

After a few tugs, Bella finally caught sight of what Annabelle was hiding. Annabelle's eyes had been burned by the fire.

"Oh Annabelle! I am so sorry!" Bella hugged her close. "Mother, we need to take---"

Bella turned around to address her mother and ask her for assistance with Annabelle, but Renee had exited the room. By the time Bella had looked back down at Annabelle, the imaginary friend's eyes seemed to return to their normal state; her eyelids weren't charred nor were her eyebrows singed off. But when Annabelle opened her eyes, they were that of a blind person.

Bella's lips quivered for her friend and she was ready to burst into tears, but Annabelle placed her hand on Bella's. She silent told her that it'll be alright, that there were far worse things in the world than being without sight.

**////////////////////**

Containing her excitement that had developed over the course of her walk back to her home was quite the task as Bella heaved the back glass sliding door open to enter her kitchen.

"Mother, there is something in the woods." Bella, clearly not doing her part in shrouding the creature's secret.

"No there isn't." Renee was washing up dishes at the sink.

"But there is. I saw it." Bella pointed to the spot where she had come from.

Renee sighed out. "What did it look like?"

Bella tried to find the words to describe this creature. Her eyes had seen it, but it was clouded in her vision. There were flashes of white, red, and black, but not in the places she had expected. It seemed to carry the voice of a male. Its stature and vague outline looked to be that of a male as well. "I believe it was a man, an unusual one."

Renee clearly had enough of Bella and her overactive imagination. "Bella dear, please stop going into the woods. We've told you several times."

Bella opened her mouth to protest, but her vocal chords would not work. Her voice was lodged in her throat and when she tried to clear it, it was as painful as trying to swallow a jawbreaker. She couldn't breathe and she worked overtime to bring in air through her nose. She gasped, but nothing would fill her mouth.

Bella coughed, willing the tension in her throat to dissipate. Was Bella dying? What had this creature done to her?

Renee rolled her eyes at her daughter, stubborn as ever to get her way. "Bella, do you understand me? No more going in the woods."

Bella's voice came back in a whoosh that nearly knocked her to her knees. Confused and devastated, Bella went up to her room without saying another word to her mother.

That night, Bella slept in her bed and dreamt of the creature in the woods. She saw herself, but yet didn't. Her dream self twirled around in a spring yellow dress with tiny white flowers along the skirt and bodice, the straps tied in little bows at the top.

The strange thing though was her ability to see only little bits of this creature. Instead of a creature, it was a man. She didn't see the man's face, but saw his hand come into her vision; it was as white as snow and not a normal color for a human. He lifted the flimsy strap that had fallen down her arm, putting it back in its rightful place.

She caught a brief glimpse of his features up close from his gentlemanly act. He had pale skin with locks of hair that reminded her of autumn time. His eyes a candy green apple. She could see that his face was handsome and she blushed when he took her hand and kissed it gently.

A week later, just as winter was settling in, Bella traveled back to the spot where the creature had come to her. Sitting on the rock, as if that would be the cue for the creature to appear, she impatiently waited.

Within a matter of minutes, she heard the telltale movement of leaves. She looked around for him, hoping he will allow her to have a clearer look at his face.

This would not be, for as soon as he reached the rock and the clearing that surrounded it, her vision became blurred. She sighed out her frustration.

"Dear Isabella, you look unlike yourself today."

"What do you mean?"

"You look…perturbed. Is something the matter?"

"Why is it that I can't see you? I want to know what you look like."

Bella searched every corner of her eye, hoping there would be a break in the cloudy vision she experienced.

"There are things you are too young to be aware of yet. When you have become of an appropriate age, you will be able to see clearly."

"How do you know I am too young? How do I know _you_ are the right age yourself?" Bella wasn't about to go down without a fight. Too young was useless to her.

Bella heard the creature shuffle his feet toward her; she wasn't sure if he was giving her the benefit of the doubt and accentuating his movements. "Dearest Bell, patience is of a virtue and so are you." His tone was reverent and longing, hope and suffering.

Bella bit her lip; she was not going to get her wish, but maybe he'd be willing to compromise. "Can I touch you?"

The creature growled a quick and resonant, "No."

Bella was taken aback by the inhuman sound that had escaped the creature. "Oh. Well…I would love to know you're real somehow." She hoped that her imagination was not what brought him to her. She already had another fake figment of a friend that wasn't really walking and talking to handle, she wasn't sure she could take another one. Or the scrutiny of it from her parents for that matter.

As soft as a finger must be to touch a bubble without popping it, he spoke. "I'm as real as you want me to be."

_As real as you want me to be._ Bella couldn't begin to decipher what that meant. She wanted to think that it was entirely up to her whether she would believe that this was real.

He was offering an ultimatum. She could discontinue acknowledging him if she hadn't agreed to keeping him a mystery, not just from everyone else but from herself as well.

Bella had always been a terribly lonely child. Besides her friendship with Annabelle, Bella had isolated herself from her fellow classmates. She was an outcast in the first place for being the only nine year old in sixth grade. There was a special offer on occasion for Bella to take lunch with children her own age, but Bella insisted that she was perfectly content spending her lunches on the swings.

She could see herself with this creature as a friend. Her dream of him and her she had seemed real and possible.

She wanted this creature to be real, but how could she convince herself that he is real. What would make him a solid being on this Earth? "I will believe you exist, if you tell me your name."

The creature sucked in a deep breath through his nose, sounding oddly loud and unhuman-like; no one could suck in that much air through tiny nostrils. "Isabella, I'm afraid I can not tell you my name."

"Then _I'm _afraid that I can't believe you." Bella's hurt, anger and sadness forcing her to leave the creature stranded, she stood to walk away from it all. Even though there was something telling her that she had no choice but to continue associating with him.

"I am disappointing you, dearest Isabella. I shall show you I am real and maybe then, you will doubt no more."

"I do hope you find a way." Bella, leaving him with her wish, headed out of the woods and into her home.

Bella spent the majority of her afternoon turning the pages of _The Birdwatcher's Companion._ The shiny pages depicted all the birds that were out of reach for Isabella. Her mere presence in front of a bird would scare it away, even though she was as harmless as dirt. Her finger stretched to stroke the glossy photograph, imagining how the _warbler_'s summer colored short feathers would feel under her touch.

Not more than a few hours after midnight, Bella awoke from sleep. A small sound had come from the corner of her room. She threw the covers off of her and stalked toward a glinting gold object. Upon closer inspection, she instantly recognized it. It was a gilded birdcage, with a real bird perched inside of it.

Bella blinked several times, willing it to either disappear or force herself to realize this was in front of her eyes. She clicked on a nearby lamp to discover what kind of bird resided inside.

The vibrant colors of red, orange and yellow that faded to a white belly. Its short beak that pecked on fruits, nuts and small insects. It was a _warbler, _the very one from her book she had read that afternoon. She had thought these birds had long migrated down south for the winter.

Hanging by a piece of red string from the cage was an envelope. Bella untied it and read the letter that was inside.

'_Let the wings of the warbler flutter for you. To show you that I am indeed of this world.'_

The bird shuffled closer to Bella inside the cage, as its wings sung a song in the wind.

Bella blushed and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. She continued reading.

'_I do hope that my gesture has convinced you to join me more often. I will be waiting for you, my dearest Isabella.'_

Bella felt she had no choice but to believe.

The creature resided in the woods and had no access to ask her mother or father about her bird hobby. Only someone who had checked her backpack where she kept her library rentals or even better, her room, would know that she loved to learn about birds.

And then, sitting there on her desk was a page in her book she had left open. The _warbler._ She could only suspect that he had entered her room or someone he knew had come and seen it.

For all that might not seem right about the trespassing of her room, Bella was grateful that at least one thing in her life was real.


	2. Bella at 10, 11, and 12

Bella at 10-12

Through the subsequent four years, Bella spent many an afternoon with the creature. Her guide and sounding board he had become. There was an air of wisdom that she sensed. He was wise beyond his seemingly young years.

"How many years are you yonder?" Bella quizzed him once, strikingly suspicious on how he knew so much about almost any subject she desired to know about.

"My age is not of consequence. If I were to express my number, there is a possibility you would treat me as such, even though I am physically far from it."

She shared stories about her schooling. And on occasion, asked for help on homework. No, she wasn't cheating, but only receiving expert accounts of events.

She would rant about teachers who handed out assignments beyond easy for her, often begging and complaining to make an exception and have her complete work that was much harder. Teachers would give her credit for her eagerness, but students thought her a teacher's pet. An accelerated student already, how much more far ahead could she travel?

Her love for birds remained with her, standing by her when there was not much to comfort her.

"Are you aware that hummingbirds eat about every ten minutes? They have the ability to slurp down twice their body weight in an entire day. If I ever attempted that, I would surely explode."

The creature chuckled, deep and throaty. Clearly, he was amused by the charming curiosity of this little girl. "The amount of times their wings flap every second warrant the amount of energy they must digest."

Her innumerable successes and failures in her life were laid out on the proverbial table for him to take notice of. There were far too many tokens of wisdom he would love to say to her and lots he couldn't.

But, nothing garnered more attention from the creature than her tragedies.

When she was ten, Bella's father had a brief stint of town notoriety for killing two teenagers who attempted to rob a local convenience store and murder its owner.

The teenagers pointed their guns at Charlie, leaving him no other choice but to do the same to them. Minutes after Charlie had sealed their fate, he discovered the guns the teenagers possessed were fake, only carrying the image of its real counterparts. With any murder that occurs amongst a small conclave of people, be it justified or not, rumors spread like wildfire about the events that had happened that day.

Eye witnesses had sworn they had first hand, unmistakable accounts of the two teens purchasing real hand guns a few days prior. Police attempted to retrieve the in-store surveillance cameras from the gun shop, but the tape that would be of that specific hour had gone missing. There were no receipts of the transaction; the guns were purchased with cash, the gunmen lacking organizational skills to hold onto the flimsy paper. Every employee who punched hours in that store was questioned. No one could decipher how one piece of substantial evidence went missing without a trace.

Bella's father slipped into a depression, unable to cope nor come to a conclusion how those boys and their guns magically turned into fake pieces of plastic. He spent many sleepless nights in his lounging chair, contemplating the unlikely events that were associated with the crime. Renee could do nothing more but watch her husband stew in the state he had acquired. Many nights, she would sit on his lap, run her languid fingers through his thinning hair and let her presence ease the wounds of it all.

"I am worried about father." Bella iterated her concern to the creature. "He feels utterly hopeless and without power in a situation where he should have the upper hand. Mother says that tape holds the key to make him content again." Bella paced back and forth in front of the creature, desiring to achieve clarity amongst the blur. "Nothing has ever felt so wrong when it could easily be right."

"I am saddened with what has occurred with your father. My whole hearted condolences, Isabella." Bella couldn't ignore the creature's disposition had been genuine, but there was a lack of concern he portrayed. There were endless secrets that the creature cared not to share with her.

"Does your sadness run deep for me or is it a mask you deceive me with?"

The creature knelt down in front of her, Bella's blurry vision searching for the identifying features of his face; ruby red lips, wisps of autumn color hair, and amber eyes. "You should never question any feeling I ever portray for you."

"I am sorry if I can't help but doubt you. There are far too many recent instances in my life where real and fake are one and the same."

"I understand, dearest Isabella."

At age eleven, Bella broke her leg.

A play date was put together between Bella and Angela, a girl her age but in the proper grade. Angela's mother had been on a shopping excursion to the garden supply shop when she ran into Bella's mother. Renee graciously gave her advice and tips on weeding properly and the best time of the day to water her plants. The two mothers caught a glimpse of the two little girls talking amongst themselves, seeing it fit to allow them to explore a friendship together.

Angela resided in the town's only cul-de-sac and the most accident-free street one could travel on. Neither traffic violations nor parking tickets were on record for any section of the asphalt that covered Galadriel Court. No blinding curves onto the street, only unabashed open lawns that children freely played upon.

Bella and Angela lounged their summer day away on the front steps with popsicles they had purchased from an ice cream truck. A jolly old man extended his arms to delight them with a refreshing treat, beaming a megawatt smile to light any young customers face. Juices from their frozen fruit flavored snack dripped down their nimble fingers, not yet calloused or worked to the very bone.

The sky was especially clear that day, warming the sidewalk and accentuating the full crisp green of the grass. The atmosphere so clear, if any one of them were curious enough, they could delight in the smell the sun.

Angela's mothers budding tulip garden basked in the rarity of a sunny day in Forks. Her glove shrouded hands molded the earth around the red, pink and yellow flowers.

Forever really could be seen on this most pristine of days.

Bella stood from her spot to rid of the wooden stick she had devoured from. The trash can along the curb was in closer proximity than the receptacle inside the house in the kitchen.

Lifting the tin lid Bella tossed it in, the wood clattering inside the empty metal can. When she glanced up, she gasped with the figment that stood before her.

Annabelle had quietly approached her. Bella held her hand to her chest, calming the rapid fire pace it was beating. Annabelle had never appeared to Bella outside of her home.

"Bella! Look out!" Angela screamed from a distance Bella could not determine. By the time she sought out the direction of the warning, Bella landed on the hood of a car.

The car careened over the curb, heading straight into the brand new garage door of Angela's home. The white steel bent unnaturally by the force of the brown Chevy.

Bella remarkably suffered no other injury than the broken leg, but passed out from pain when the sirens of the ambulance were heard.

The identity of the driver, a one Felix Unger, was as innocuous as the once untainted tulips that were demolished in the accident. Hours prior, the man had traveled along a road nowhere near the vicinity, close to a three hour drive. The last event he remembered was a man assisting him with a tire that had gone flat on the highway, before waking up in a moving vehicle that was not that of his own. He expressed his deepest apologies and offered to make it up to Bella in some way.

Upon her arrival home from the hospital, Bella had not worried about the state of her leg, but when she would be able to visit the creature again. She had hoped that he would make an exception to his rules and alight her in her home as she recovered from her injury.

This would not come to be.

Instead, Annabelle was the one who came to see her everyday.

"Why had you scared me with your presence? If not for you, I would not have to endure this long stretch of absence from him." Bella's eyes pricked with tears the size of crocodiles.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, haven't you heard?"

"But his absence is around me all my days. I can but only see him out there." Bella commanded to the window, the view of the path she walked to spend time with him everyday in her complete sight. The well worn dirt that was not as much of a trick to walk through as before. The glimpse of it that was of comfort regularly, would taunt her throughout her involuntary absence.

"Do you think he does not feel the same as you? He could most certainly hate to keep his distance."

"Your words lead me to believe you know more than I do about him. Which is not near possible as you are imaginary." He was too careful with her at times, never allowing as much as a fingertip to grace his skin or permission to let her eyes gaze upon him. Bella suspected that the creature was toying with her, but overly protecting her from an unknown danger.

"It is only but a hunch." Annabelle quickly spoke of her obliviousness. "My own leg endured injury once. Only, in my day it would be far more deadly than it is now. I too was forbidden to have visits from my friend. It was a most saddening affair that I wish never to think of again."

Tired simply from having no other place to be but her bed, Bella fell into a slumber. She awoke hours later to the loud warning chirp from the warbler.

She threw her covers off, studying the bird whose wings flapped fierce and flagrant. It's call close to deafening any human's eardrums.

"What is it?" She urgently whispered to the noisy bird. If it did not quiet down quickly, it will awaken her mother or father.

A soft breeze tickled the back of Bella's floor length white eyelet nightgown. She turned to address the open window, which she was most certain had been locked, closed when she had fallen asleep hours before.

Shutting the window once more, she discovered a note had been taped to one of the square panes on her side. Gently lifting away from its original designated spot, she opened the single folded piece of parchment.

'_It is my only wish that I was able to grace you with my presence during this unfortunate time. I will think of you when I watch the rain fall and glisten along your rock. I will listen to the Spinus tristis sing songs about you. And I will miss you every single minute of all my days without your company.'_

For eight long weeks, Bella suffered the tedious tasks one must go through with an immobile leg. Her homework assignments were delivered to her daily by Michael, a student in most of her classes. She received help from her mother when time to wash up came around. Her father would carry her up the stairs when bed time approached.

Her curtains remained drawn open to allow the sun to shine and grace her with light she could not feel freely against her skin. For her to stare longingly at the well-worn path weaving into the trees. For her to both mourn and scorn at the two fir trees composing a fictitious gateway into the woods.

Dawn and dusk danced along her comforter, warming her when she did not want to be cozy. She saddled herself to the other side of the bed for the remainder of her quarantine.

There was not much for her to partake in but stick her nose in books or treat her ears to music. Bella immersed herself in her studies on birds; this prided and filled her with joy that this one aspect of her life had ceased to change. The warbler that had been gifted to her by the creature still sat in its glided cage. The tiny bird was her magnanimous link to the creature. She cherished it far more than she had before.

She had only one wish that the bird were strong enough to lift her safely in its beak and fly her into the woods.

**////////////////////**

A mere two days after her twelfth birthday, Bella's cast came off.

Bella jetted like a racing horse out of the starting gate and into the woods to see the creature. Her dress, newly christened from her mothers hands and hair freshly trimmed, caressed the wind as her feet flew beneath her; oh how she wished she were a bird in that moment.

Dodging shallow puddles and potentially dangerous rocks, she regaled herself with previous memories of him. Their first encounter, the one occasion where her arm brushed against his long sleeve shirt. The day earlier than the horrific accident when she finally identified the scent of him (a pine woodsy musk that reminded her of the lumber her father set aside for the winter months). She couldn't stand to wait any longer without him. The weight of her dreadful two months away from him dissipated the closer she came to her destination.

Out of breath from her overexerted excitement, she placed herself on her rock. She knew him not too far behind her. She never knew a more gallant day or a time when she had not been happier to have her vision blur when he stepped into the clearing.

"Dearest Isabella, you are well." There was no denial from the beaming smile in his voice.

"Yes, above and beyond. I do not want to suffer like I have these past two months ever again."

"Suffering, oh I know that all too well." His anxiety emoted as bright as his happiness. Bella bared the weight of it all into her chest.

Bella breathed in the fresh rain soaked forest, reinvigorating her senses with the most beautiful scents in the world. She had been without it and the creature for so long. Bella wanted to reacquaint herself with everything she had come to acquire in her life.

She spent hours speaking her tale of lonely nights without him, her endless homework assignments, and a possible new admirer.

"Michael hand delivered every single one of my homework assignments to my house all the days I was barricaded. At first, he would simply place the books I was due to read or the papers I was expected to write in the hands of my mother. When I was finally able to walk around my house without assistance, I answered the door around three thirty everyday. I expected him to leave after he had dropped off the assignments, but he decided to plant himself on the couch and we'd spend afternoons completing our work together."

The creature typically joined Bella on her rock at some point in their conversation, but he had not done so this time. "Are there any other admirable qualities about this Michael?"

"Why yes. He is of a gentle nature, taking my hand whenever we see each other off at the end of our sessions. He is not unfortunate looking either, although I'm not sure this would be of interest you."

"It is all of my interest and concern, Isabella. He may have the manners to showcase for you, but that doth not show how he is underneath those actions."

Bella couldn't believe the way the creature was treating Michael. "How would you begin to know what his true nature is?" What made him the definitive say on what is true and false?

"I am aware of more than you think, Isabella. My surroundings may only consist of this." His hand extended to the trees and the miles it reached. "But that doth not mean I am blind to what takes place."

"No, that only makes _me_ blind." Bella stubbornly folded her arms, the sting of her unfulfilled wish pressing like a knife into her. "I do not appreciate being mocked."

The creature couldn't express enough how much he wanted to grant her access to the sight of him. "I am sorry to have offended you. That was never my intention."

"Your 'sorry' may have been accepted before, but it can not this time." Bella couldn't comprehend why the creature continued to keep himself a mystery to her. How long could she continue to keep his company if he refused to let any of himself be shown? "I would accept it again, if you share a piece of yourself with me."

"Dearest Isabella, I can't show any of my being to you."

"Not physically show, but what lies beneath your outer appearance. My curiosity is too much to bear anymore."

The creature stood up quickly, planting himself against a redwood. The roots ran so deep and long, they brushed underneath Bella's feet a couple of yards away.

"When you were away for those months, I couldn't make it through days alone. I am a very docile lonely creature by nature, but nothing gripped and strangled me more than this absence. There was a simultaneous gaping hole and heaviness that my chest could not bear. There was one solid period of time that I faced a similar crisis, but none more overwhelming than this. Others tried their hand assisting me with what I was going through, but they couldn't possibly understand the depth of what I was feeling."

"Others?" She had not heard a word before of anyone in his life. Did the creature have friends?

The creature sighed out heavily, remaining silent prior to expressing his thoughts. "I do have a small group of those I consider like family."

Family? The creature had a family. This new information excited Bella and ridded her of sad images she had conjured up of the creature wandering the forest by himself.

"The only family member that was of comfort was one of two persons I considered a sister. She has a way of knowing the outcome of a situation. Her reassurance that I would see you again soon enough kept me sane through those long, arduous months. She had also experienced an enormous stretch of time without seeing the one she…" The creature paused to phrase his sentence correctly, always carefully. "…cared about and knew what I was trudging through."

"What do you mean by _knowing_? How can one know what will and won't take place?" Bella's knowledge on those who knew events beyond the present only encapsulated the memory of attending a fair. A plump, woman of a certain age sat inside a makeshift tent, beckoning attendees to see their future for five dollars. Bella found it skeptical and not right to charge such a nominal amount of money; wasn't a human's life worth more than that?

"My sister is gifted with the art of premonitions. They may or may not come true, based on what path a person chooses. They have the ability to change quicker than the flapping of a hummingbirds wings."

In the present moment, the current Bella's future had been decided.

What if she had skipped instead of ran to the creature today?

What if her leg had been severed instead of only broken in two places?

What if she had decided to not step into the woods in all of her existence?

Bella pondered every bit of minutia she had in her life. If this talent of his sisters were true, then she knew what could and could not be said around her. She would know what would happen if the creature shared information that needed to remain a secret. Her life could fall apart fast with the tiniest tip he should not have given.

"Is this why you won't reveal personal details with me? She knows what will happen if you do so?"

Faster than anyone could say 'jack rabbit', the creature was back at her side. "Yes." He firmly stated. "Oh, I am absolutely beyond grateful you understand my dilemma. Nothing would please me more than to divulge all of what I harbor. But there are far greater things at work with us and if we stray from them by of our own volition…" The creature let out a strangled choke that sounded like it would end a human's life, but only left him speechless for a brief increment. "…then all of this would be gone."

Bella heard the tears in his voice, but there were none glistening among the intense whites of his eyes. She couldn't spot the lovely amber color of his eyes either; the pupils couldn't be dilated that much, could they? But, this was a question which was of a personal matter, and she had an inkling in place from long ago that he was not of a human quality. And so, the question remained unasked.

"No, none of this shall be gone. I will not answer the calls of my peaked curiosity anymore."


	3. Bella at 13

Bella at 13

"And then we dissected the live frog. I really was not a big supporter of taking its life, but it was required for the assignment." Bella kicked around dirt and rocks, as she shared her afternoon with the creature.

"You do not like killing animals?" The creature sounded intrigued, inclining that he would be filing this information away for later use.

"Killing animals senselessly? No, I am not happy to do so. But, we must eat animals to stay alive. My mother tried to teach me the ways of a person who doesn't eat meat, but having tofu was one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life."

The creature chuckled, amused by an inside joke that he will not share with Bella. "So only for survival?"

"Yes, for survival, it is a must."

"Dearest Isabella, it fills me with joy that you feel that way." The creature sounded like he could jump to the moon with the amount of joy he resonated.

Bella couldn't comprehend why her eating habits would be something to celebrate, but oh how she loved it when he did. Nothing pleased her more than to keep the creature happy.

A few days after her thirteenth birthday, Bella made that change. She had remembered being taught this was common among girls her age, but the shock was still there when she saw the spot on her bed sheets before school one morning. The incident triggered memories of her stumble in the woods, but instead of encapsulating the red on white as pain, she saw it as a growth. And in the pit of her stomach, growing up sounded like the kind of event she had been hoping for.

After that unavoidable morning, Bella was now a girl in her blossoming years. Those years where you look at things how you would for the rest of your life. All that seemed unimportant before, now were all one girl could think about.

While Bella kept her school priorities and much loved hobbies in check, but boys made a welcomed appearance in the overall picture. She loved how their shirts fit them, highlighting their naturally stronger upper bodies. The way their height loomed over her and how she was forced to crane her neck upward to catch a glimpse of their faces. Oh how could she have not noticed such striking features before? Where had she been the past thirteen years?

It didn't escape her attention that her mother would check up on her more often than not when she was on the phone with an admirer. However, the house that she resided in gave away one's intention of walking down the hall or up the stairs.

"Yes…oh I would love to know." Bella bit her lip, stifling a giggle from a boy she talked with on the other end. "Please tell me what it is you would love to ask me."

"Bella, may I ask you out on a date?" Michael, one of her classmates, asked her without mumbling or fumbling his way through it.

A short knock vibrated off of Bella's door. She sat up quickly, cradling the phone close to her chest. "Come in." She announced. It no longer peeved her when Renee stopped by to take a peek that her daughter was not misbehaving.

"Bella, I've made peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies if you would like some."

"Yes, I would. I will be down in a smidge." She beamed an innocent smile, hiding the trouble she might be in.

Renee silently closed the door. Bella waited for her mother's footsteps to creak and disappear, before she returned to her conversation. "Yes, Michael. I would love to go on a date with you."

"How does eight o'clock on Saturday sound?"

"Sounds perfect." Bella didn't contain her happiness; she would be on a real live date with a boy, one whose name she knew and knew where he resided. Not one who kept to himself and never let her say a word pertaining to him. She promised long ago to remain silent about her prying, but that didn't make it any less annoying to keep it at bay.

"Goodbye, Michael. I will see you at school tomorrow." As soon as she hung up her phone, an all too familiar figure appeared before her.

"What about the creature in the woods?" Annabelle graced Bella's room from the end of her bed.

Bella had thought Annabelle would phase out of her mind at the point of her impending teenage years, but this did not come to be. In fact, Annabelle appeared more often and stayed for long periods of time.

What kind of a girl had an imaginary friend beyond her years of adolescence? Bella was embarrassed for herself.

"Him? Why would he have anything to be concerned about? He is no more than a friend and would be delighted in this development." Bella ascended from her bed to feed the warbler that had long resided in the corner of her room. The little warbler's beak received a handful of nuts from her hand.

"The creature will be hurt that you are abandoning him." Annabelle always had a soft voice; honey would line up to know its secret. "He is fragile."

Bella continued to dodge the conversation and ultimately, what her deepest emotions were. "Fragile? If there is one adjective I would associate with him, that would not be one of them."

"Then what is your view on the creature?"

Bella bitterly smiled at Annabelle, even though she could have no satisfaction of Annabelle's face viewing it. "View? Why must you openly mock me? The only view I've ever had of him was a dream from four years ago that you have been aware of. And I wasn't graced with any other feature but his hand."

The details of Bella's dream slowly faded with time, but the way it made her feel had not. She blushed as red as a begonia when she thought of how he treated her amongst it all.

"If you give him time, he will show you his intentions."

"Time is always the issue. But, what if time is what I haven't got?" Bella opened up one of her bird guides, caressing the page with a picture of a _spinus tristis_, the American goldfinch and state bird of Washington.

Their presence was common, Bella spotting one almost everyday from a branch outside her high school. Luck surged through her for knowing a beautiful bird up close on regular occasion.

She memorized the many color changes the birds acquired through the cold and warm months, the breeding and non-breeding times of the year. The adult male's coats were bright yellow, competing with the sun with its luminosity. The female's coats were a less attractive shade of gold with olive tones.

_They _were allowed to change their feathers, so why couldn't Bella?

"And if you disagree with who I am partaking on a social event with, I boldly suggest you keep opinions of an offensive nature to yourself. Or you can depart at any time." Bella turned around to glance at Annabelle's reaction, but she had gone.

Bella had high hopes that this would become a more permanent solution.

**////////////////////**

Bella scoured many establishments for the most perfect of perfect outfits for the first date she would venture on.

Her mother had agreed to a late afternoon shopping excursion to assist her daughter. Bella remembered how Renee felt when she approached her upon seeking out clothing options for her date.

"Bella, you have a date?" Renee gently questioned her.

"I do, mother. His name is Michael and we are taking in a movie. And if you so do agree, a trip to the ice cream parlor following the film." Bella radiated excitement as bright as Christmas tree lights.

"Why yes, ice cream afterward is perfectly fine." Renee hugged her daughter close to her.

Bella knew that her mother would never address it, but she could see the concern in her eyes. She was aware that she was not a social butterfly and any sense of normalcy for a teenage girl, attending a social occasion such as a date, was a step in the right direction.

A girl should not spend time alone in her room completely immersed in books on birds or spend hours exchanging conversations with a figment of a friend.

And a girl all by her lonesome certainly never explored the woods for endless hours at a time.

Renee handed her pile after pile of cupcake colored dresses. Bella must've zipped up and wiggled her way into every cotton, chiffon and taffeta dress in the store. There were frilly lacey garments that made her look too doll-like and ones so short they threatened to be shirts.

Bella desired for pretty.

"Bella, I think I found the one. I had to fight with the saleswoman to remove it from the mannequin, but I believe it is worth it."

Bella cradled the dress from Renee's hands. Stepping into the dressing room, she slipped the garment over her head. Tightening the thin straps and smoothing the wrinkles of the skirt, she rewarded the mirror with a smile.

Bella had never felt lovelier. The skirt floated around her as she spun. Spinning and spinning until equilibrium could no longer hold her in place. Her rear met a bench as she toyed with the fabric.

Oh the beauty of being a girl! Bella could not possess enough of it.

After purchasing the outfit, Bella decided to wear it the rest of the afternoon. Including on her daily journey to visit her creature. _Her_ creature? When had she claimed possession of him?

Bella took notice of the way her body stirred when she ran. Her hips swung with more intent. Her chest, once desolate and of no concern, bounced underneath the smocked fabric of her dress. She delighted in these new developments.

Out of breath, she graced the familiar surroundings. She was far too content to sit on her rock. And it would mark her dress, a non-necessity for such a beautiful garb.

"Creature? Oh Creature are you here?" Bella bellowed out, spinning in endless circumferences. "Do you think it splendid on me?" Bella twirled an end of her hair. Her teeth shyly met her lip, wishing the creature would not embarrass her. Or worse, think she not hold a candle of beauty to don it.

The creature stepped out from behind his tree. The air waited for his response, waiting to send Bella's destiny her way.

"You are a vision." The steadiness of his stalliant tenor had been disrupted by Bella's new womanly presence.

Bella permeated absolute elation. "I am relieved this is your opinion. For a moment, my heart skipped that you think it not correct on me."

"There has been nothing more right or beautiful on anyone since this world began."

"Creature, surely you don't think it _that_ grand on me." She would never deny that his words filled her with unbridled happiness, but there is to be a limit one person could stand with compliments such of this caliber. Such definitive statements imposed doubt on her.

"The fibers that fit your skin should never grace another human being. The hands that endured tears and blisters, stabbing needles that stung their fingers, knew only such a fair beauty as you would wear this some day. There has been no other element or live thing on this Earth that has sheathed themselves in attire as ardently beautiful as the wearer themselves."

Bella could not successfully shield her smile. There had been no words before that ignited the intense blush that invaded Bella's cheeks.

"Why Creature I am most humbled by your opinion of me. I do take--" Bella could not finish the sentence she had begun.

A delicate brush of air, as light as a breeze from the wings of a bird, slinked along her arm. But it would not be an act of nature that would whisper against her skin forthcoming.

Slowly, a finger, wrist, hand white as snow entered her blurry vision.

The flimsy tie strap of her yellow dress had fallen from her shoulder in all her previous exuberance. The stunted feel of the hand on her, chilled the tender curve of her bare shoulder.

She glanced wondrously at the retreating hand, meeting the out of focus eyes of the creature.

Then, there was a flash. A brief flash. This briefest of moments returned her sight to normal for what couldn't have been more than a second. The creature had no longer possessed the amber eyes she had only caught a tiny glimpse of when he allowed her to be close. Instead, they were an unmistakable green. A marvelous candy apple green. His face of a beauty she felt her eyes could not carry or even have the privilege to have known. He was of striking youth, shining it brilliantly on her.

And his attire was not that of the simple button up shirt and dress pants he often wore. Oh how she reveled in the time he permitted her to place her hand on his clothed body. The fabric of his royalist of blue shirts had lain smooth on his body and hugged curves that had only previously been sculpted on the finest of statues.

But these clothes that Bella had seen…they were of a decade of yore. When men wore suits designed for them. A time when men were required to stand up from their seat when a lady arrived. The years when the world had begun to endure a long battle with itself.

The creature was a crystal clear image of that time long ago, as Bella's hand felt the delicate touch of his lips to her hand. Bella blushed brighter than before. Had there been a time, place, moment or interval when blushes counted before this one?

But how could this event have passed?

Why had this moment felt ingrained in her bones from long ago?

Her fuzzy vision returned, her breath catching in her throat. What had come to pass between them?

Bella gripped her chest, struggling to keep her racing heart steadfast. Shakily, she exhaled the small amount of air that had settled in her lungs. "I have to go." She whispered to the Creature as she fled to her house, leaving the Creature in a quick haste.

What had her mind shown her? She could not protest what her eyes had seen, but what was it?

Bella, her dress still as pristine as prior, nervously smoothed out the fabric and waited for eight o'clock to roll around from the couch in her living room.

**////////////////////**

"That movie was far worse than I had ever expected." Michael recanted to Bella why the film they had taken in not mere minutes ago was one of the foulest he had ever seen. "I didn't understand why there had been no connection made between the two characters. They had barely uttered a word to one another and…"

Bella was in no desirable mood to explain the concept of irony and subtlety. The inner recesses of her brain had long ceased processing what he was saying. She only possessed the urge to mutter small words of agreement or disagreement the entire evening with him.

This had transpired the moment she was with Michael on their date.

And why was it like that you may ask? It seemed fair Bella Swan could not escape the entire event that had taken place in the forest.

Throughout the length of the film, she could scarce hear a word the actors were saying to one another on screen. There was no room in her brain to share a thought with this less than timeless film when Bella could only think about the Creature.

_Her_ Creature.

But was Creature the right name to claim him by?

Creature implies terror and horror, when this was not what she thought of him as. What other name shall she give him?

He was of a human quality that was absolutely certain. The hand and face that could've only belonged to him were unmistakably of a being like herself.

But his hand? It was all but frozen; reminiscent of a temperature of ice than the warmth of human skin. And the pliability of the skin was not remotely of human epidermis.

His fingers had glided along her arm, burning a secret path only she could feel. Her heart fluttered at the memory that would never leave. She exhaled, dreamily soaking herself in a moment she cared not to give up.

"Your enlightenment is of celebration, Bella. Go forth and treat yourself tonight." Annabelle skipped ahead of Bella as Michael and she continued their stroll to the ice cream parlor.

Bella attempted to silence Annabelle, discreetly placing her finger to her lip.

"Bella, why must you continue to be in the company of this boy? There is no need to go on with him. He is not the one who has your mind, let alone your heart." Annabelle prattled on and on, which frankly made Bella wish any and all association with Annabelle end.

"…I do think the chocolate is the far superior choice than any other flavor." Michael glanced up at the hand written, chalk board with all of the flavors the parlor churned out every day.

When had Bella entered the parlor? She couldn't recall a door opening for her or even the vastly different light source from outside. Was she so deep in thought that all surroundings had disappeared?

"Bella, what flavor do you care for tonight?" Michael inquired to Bella.

"Hmm?" Bella snapped out of her revere. "Strawberry sounds like a scrumptious choice tonight." Bella didn't care much to eat, but Michael had been gracious and she felt it unfair to leave him the only one with sustenance to enjoy.

"Are you not well at the moment?" Michael placed his hand on her shoulder, attempting to set comfort in her.

But placing his hand where there had been one of significance mere hours ago was not a wise choice.

"Bella? Is something the matter?" Michael waved his hand in front of Bella's eyes, receiving no response that would reassure him.

Michael shook her fiercely, pulling her from a black hole daze that one could be lost in forever.

Bella looked to her suitor, searching her surroundings and familiarizing herself once again. "I…excuse me."

Faster than Michael could catch up to her, Bella ran. She dropped the cone topped with artificial strawberry ice cream at his feet, as he watched her go.

Bella's sandaled feet hit the pavement of downtown Port Angeles with force. The wind swept her hair in angry, sharp waves. The skirt of her dress never knew whether to obey the rules of nature or Bella's angry hands that fisted the fabric.

"Bella, have you but all forgotten I have no sight?" Annabelle appeared at a heart stopping pace in Bella's path. "There is no need to run from anything, but run to? Then yes, you may continue."

Tears formed and threatened to fall down her cheeks, but Bella could not force her eyes to close. She was frightened, too scared to think what would happen next.

Then, a distant voice in the back of her brain screamed at her, pushing familiar moments against the membranes of her mind. Bella's hands pressed the sides of her head, hoping simple counter pressure would be the cure.

Bella's eyelids fluttered rapidly. With each flap, a new image of the creature played back to her like a film from a hand crank toy. His lips formed in a devastating smile only for her. Her hands finally touching the autumn tinted locks that begged to be brushed from his face. Short-lived segments of small gestures and gracious tokens of…of what?

A premonition? A dream? A tale she had experienced long ago? What was being shown to her?

Desperate to feel reality again, Bella stumbled into an alley way. She grasped along the brick wall, her nails biting and scraping. She trudged to the beacon of light above a side door leading to a Mexican restaurant.

Bella opened her mouth to project her pain and frustration, but her voice could not be found. That baseball size lump in her throat prevented anyone from helping her relieve it. Droplets of rain did find her tongue as she tilted her head to the stormy skies.

"There is no need to scream. There is nothing scary about what is being shown to you." Annabelle followed behind the snails pace Bella.

"It is not the images that fuel the pain, but the process." Bella wailed to the dry clothed imaginary girl. Rain took over where tears would not fall from Bella's cheek. "Please make it stop. My head can not endure it anymore. Please."

Oh the agony that anchored itself to every crevice of her brain!

Bella could not find a human torture method to compare it to. Her skull, like that of the outer shell of a childhood teddy bear, filled with soft, pliable cotton. Her mind struggled to relieve the pressure of the excessive stuffing. She was sure she could hear the fake fur expand, reaching its maximum capacity, the threads that held the delicate toy together shredding and fraying. But there was no escape that could be found; the fluffy filler had entrenched every curve and recess. Oh why must this normally innocuous play thing create a horrific image in her mind. Bella could only wish that the pain would end, even if it means her life shall expire early.

"You are not about to receive death! Why must you think that? Bella, this is not what is planned for you." Annabelle drilled that this was of an innocent nature what was happening to Bella ad nauseam. She portrayed desperation, holding onto a thread of hope of some kind. "This is not torture! This is not what is intended! Please cease from thinking that!"

Bella's feet could not bear her weight anymore. She tripped on an invisible obstacle in the polluted, possibly disease infested cement. She crashed into the brick building face first, the sting of the grainy, grimy cement blocks sliding along her forehead. A long, jagged mark formed where once there was unmarred skin. Blood glistened down the bridge of her nose, rain diluting it like red watercolor paint.

Annabelle disappeared from Bella's vision, as Bella felt the symptom of sleep take over her. The last thing Bella could gather from her memory was the set of hands lifting her from the dirty dingy floor of the alley way.

**////////////////////**

Cottony warmth wrapped her exhausted body. The lilacs printed on her comforter filled Bella's sight. The warbler in her corner sung soft and low. She had been placed back in her bedroom. The once cherished, charming yellow dress still encapsulated her body, but the dirt and mud from her fall to the ground forever stained the girly fabric.

In seconds, Bella felt a whoosh of remembrance. She had cut her forehead open, the loss of blood animating in her mind instantly. While the wound was merely a scratch, the thought and sight of losing such an important vital filled her with unease. Her hand met the bandage that had been smoothed along the cut.

Aching to rid the night attire she had yet to be changed out of, she stepped into her bathroom to adorn her nightgown. There was no energy left in Bella to attempt to cleanse her body that night.

She did address the soiled gauze on her cut. Peeling it off her forehead, she winced at the dark line running across it. The water that had been run in the sink, swirled and clinked around Bella's hands as she scooped up the warm water to bring to her face. Her wound was washed clean as gauze was applied once more.

With a heavy heart, Bella returned to her bed. When she cast her eyes at the blanket in front of her, she was surprised that not only had the bed been smoothed out and made, but an envelope sat between the two sets of pillows she laid her head upon.

Her name had been written in the fanciest calligraphy Bella had ever read. Bella lifted the unsealed flap and read the note inside.

'_I am sorry, Dearest Isabella. The events that have occurred on this such night were of a consequence you are unaware of. They have taken place in a manner that was far more full of fright than had been intended. Our future relies solely on my keeping you in the dark. My past however, seeks to test my patience. But fear not, Isabella, I fear along with you._

_Your mother and father were not at home when you were returned. They aren't aware of anything that has taken place since your departure for your social event._

_Do sleep, even though your cup runneth over with beauty.'_

Bella could not think of a better thing to do than let her head hit her pillows and drift away to a place far, far away from here.


	4. Bella at 14

Bella at 14

"Stop, that tickles." Bella shooed away the Creature as he gently brushed a light object along her nose. Bella could not fathom why the Creature was more playful with her than his usual uptight and distraught self.

"It's a feather, Isabella." He retracted his hand, his pearly whites peeking out from behind his lips. "I happened upon this bird, but could not identify the correct species. Then, I thought of you and your infinite wisdom on the subject. Would you care to help me finally put a name to it?"

The Creature knelt in front of her, tracing the feather along her sensitive cheek. She had begun to notice that he was appealing to her good side more than usual. As if it became his life mission silently apologizing to her for an inexplicable reason.

She was not unaware that since the night in Port Angeles where Annabelle had frightened her that their relationship was wrought with tension. Bella had inherited a nervous energy upon seeing him the next day. The note he had left for her attributed to her newly developed apprehension.

Bella had always been curious where the Creature ventures when they depart. He had mentioned not being alone, but that was not sufficient evidence to theorize or conclude what he does when not around her. She loved to think that he spent his days waiting for those few hours they would be together. The only clue of his outside time with her was the night he found her in that alley. There was no true way of knowing it was him, but his written words confirmed her suspicions.

In the forthcoming months since that incident, Bella had not heard a word from Annabelle. Her eyes lay upon her appearance, but Annabelle would not utter any grievances or misgivings. It was apparent that Annabelle had clued in just how maddening she was to Bella. They shared the same head space; it was about time they came to an amicable understanding.

Annabelle stood by idly as Bella remained unmoved by any of the Creatures kind gestures. He would extend his hand in an impromptu dance amongst their meeting area, but denied him on account of having two left feet. He would grace her with a muffin on the Saturday mornings they would meet, but declared that she was allergic to gluten. He would shower her with tokens of gratitude and love, but would brush them off in that instant.

Bella could not mistake his frustration and learned that ignoring him would not get her anywhere. So, on her fourteenth year on Earth, Bella wished herself one thing when she whistled out air to extinguish her candle-lit cake.

This would be the year of answers.

"Yes, dear Creature, I will offer you my assistance." Bella gently picked up the feather, twirling it between her fingers.

She would help him, bringing her steps closer to solutions.

**/////////////////////**

Bella skirted her fingers along the bindings of her bird book collection. The bookcase that occupied one corner of the room housed almost every kind of literature on the subject Bella could get her hands on. Anthologies, children picture books, coffee table books; all on the written word of ornithology.

Over the course of four hours, Bella firmly put her nose in pages upon pages on the magical flying animal she loved so dear. She studied the texture, color and size of the mysterious bird feather handed to her. She searched through every single bird residing within the Olympic Peninsula, but naught were a match.

Was it possible that the Creature collected the singular feather from a different location? Bella expanded her initial search criteria and included more areas and regions. More species than she could ever imagine beyond her home state.

Two paper cuts and a stubbed toe later, Bella finally had her answer. But it did nothing to rid Bella's curiosity.

The following day, Bella brought the information to bring to the attention of the Creature.

"Creature, I have your answer." Bella found the transition from sight to none at all was less jarring if she closed her eyes beforehand. Once she found her seat on their rock, she did as such.

The Creature silently approached her. "You have injured yourself."

"It is merely a cut."

"Two cuts." The Creature, from the sound of it, seemed to struggle with this concept. "Your right index and left middle, the latter much more extreme in harm." Like handling the feather, The Creature lifted her hand gently toward his face.

His frigid hand matched the temperature of his breath. The brisk air sailed from his mouth, hitting her palm. The Creature skirted his fingers along her bandaged middle digit, the darkened blood peeking through the nude colored dressing. He brought the tip to his nose, inhaling an invisible scent.

Bella did not know what to think of the Creature's actions. Did he have a sixth sense that could detect things that normally have no odor? He was very bizarre, but she could not hurt his feelings; leaving him would most certainly force him further into a black hole of loneliness. Who's to say what is normal anyway? She sympathized with the Creature; there were people who judged her livelihood every ticking second of the days of her life. This action of his quite possibly may have been the one thing that brought him great joy.

The Creature slid her hand from his nose to his chest. Bella heard a muffled cry from a deep part within him, a strangled suffering of a whimper. As Bella listened to the Creature, she could not spot a heart beat that would keep a human such as herself alive.

Maybe Bella had it all wrong. The Creature was no more satisfied than he was before. Unless he had a twisted fascination for being happy while sad. A morbid fascination.

After a few more moments, the Creature returned her hand to her. He glanced down at her Mary Janes, descending in front of them. Bella nursed the thought of the possibility that he could detect her stubbed toe. She briefly wondered if he would remove her shoes to examine that part of her anatomy as well.

"You identified the bird?" He slowly lifted his head to meet her glazed over eyes.

"Yes, I have. It is the feather of a male Least Bittern, _Ixobrychus exilis_. It was a mission that was far more tasking than I thought it would be to place a name on this bird."

"I imagined it would."

"Oh you knew so?" How incredulous of him, Bella thought.

"Yes, but do go on."

"They are carnivorous, a wading bird, who nest in dense vegetation. In fact, they nest in marshes." Bella soaked in a deep breath, praying the courage to fill her inquisitiveness was with her. "But, there is scant a marsh in the Northwest region of North America. They also take to traveling at night. They are fairly common, but often heard and rarely seen. One would have to be in the right place, right time to catch a glimpse of a Least Bittern. And they do not take residence in the state of Washington."

Bella dared not be subtle with her words; she was aware that the Creature was capable of accomplishing the most impossible of feats. She was not surprised that he came across a rare species of bird in the vast state she lived in.

The Creature stood tall, stretching up to his full gait. "Take my hand."

Bella, bewildered by this turn of events, placed her palm into his, using his strength to hoist her from her sitting position. The Creature walked her a few paces toward the perimeter of their area.

"Isabella, I recognize how much you wish to ascend from the ground and take to the sky. Your eyes light up at the thought of possessing that ability."

Bella knew this an all but impossible power. "But humans are not gifted with such a great ability. I can only but wish for it, unless I become acquainted with an animal who could bear my weight to carry me high enough. Alas, I can not talk to animals."

The Creature softly chuckled. "But you are speaking to one at the moment."

"Of course, humans are animals. Let me clarify: an animal which has the ability to fly."

"As I said before, you are in the presence of one."

Bella lowered her eyebrows in confusion, realization refusing to hit her earlier. "You can fly, Creature?"

"Not the same as your winged subjects, but I can jump and take flight among the trees in a graceful manner."

Bella would grovel at his feet for a chance to soar that high. There would be no greater or more sacred memory than the one where she was suspended in air for a few seconds. To have the feeling that she could truthfully touch the sky.

"Would it be out of line if I asked for you to let me ascend a tree and fly?"

"I had hoped you would ask. Nothing would please me more." The Creature turned, his back displaying for her. "Hop on."

Bella did as she was told. The Creature did not flinch an inch when Bella leapt on, hooking her legs in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, delighting in the rare chance of touching him. There was no discernible body heat from where she pressed against his back.

"Ready?"

Bella nodded against the back of his head, her cheek becoming friendly with his hair. She was too frightened to let her eyes absorb the likely blurry visual of earthy tones that would pass her by. So, she closed them and breathed in deeply before her flight.

In a flash, the Creature climbed the decades old tree. Bella anticipated the jerking motion of ones body or head bobbing one would feel when taking off like the Creature had, but none of those came to be. The only noticeable action Bella distinguished was the scraping of fingers and shoes against the tree's bark. Not a bit of air escaped the Creatures mouth or nose.

Within seconds, the Creature reached one of the steadier top branches. He made no move to let her go or to allow her to stand on one. "Isabella, you may open your eyes."

"But, how could I enjoy without my sight?" Bella ducked her head, her nose rubbing the nape of his neck.

"I will grant you permission to view this." The Creature was genuine with his answers; never would he lie to his Isabella. He was here only to protect. "Keep your eyes closed and I will voice to you when you may open them."

Bella waited; would he let her see him as well? She knew that this was only but a wish, an impossibility. It was the one feat the Creature was incapable of. Yet her wish to fly came true, even through all of the odds from before.

"Open them."

Trepidation marring her lids, Bella slowly opened them. She was not sure why she was shocked by her vision being clear, her eyes able to focus properly. It was an adjustment to behold.

No, not the act of seeing, but of _what_ our fair Bella saw before her eyes.

Jewel greens that she never thought the likes of knowing in her life. Ones so brilliant, she winced at the Technicolor brightness. The breeze swayed along them to and fro, the forest scent attracted to the sensitive hairs in her nose. She looked beyond and above at the borderless sky. Far away in the distance, mountains provided the perfect backdrop, completing this immaculate vision she long dreamed of.

She felt it silly to think but she expressed it to the Creature all the same. "I feel like a giant."

The Creature, amused by the charming naivety of the girl said, "Yes, that is one way of stating it."

Bella chanced a glance at the distance below them, essentially staring down the barrel of a gun. She gasped, unable to comprehend just how far they were from solid ground.

"I scarcely see a ground existing for us to fall onto." Bella nervously laughed, but her enthusiasm for experiencing such an opportunity overshadowed it all.

"We will never fall." The Creature absorbed the crisp, untainted atmosphere. His hair, no match for the gusts that played with it. "To answer your question, we are over three hundred feet from solid Earth."

Bella involuntarily gulped; being over thirty stories high would frighten anyone. Bella couldn't fathom any building beyond two. She buried her face into the Creatures back, imagining the fear of heights she never knew she possessed.

"Oh dear Isabella, you are safe in my hands. Letting you leave my arms is one of my worst fears. My life would crumble to bits, tinier than grains of sand." The Creature choked on the pain of his own words.

Bella had not sought to cause the Creature any pain. "Creature, you can rest assure my presence in your life will not be receding in any way, shape or form."

There existed nothing but wind and a light drizzle as they enjoyed the natural quiet.

Bella could not help but wonder how the Creature would keep them so high. The Creature owned arms and legs, but scarce a device that would propel their vertical climb.

Had he learned to soar all his own? Did he learn to adapt without a possibly lost piece of equipment? "Have your wings fallen off?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your wings, are they broken? Is that why you can only soar softly through the trees and not above?"

"If you liken me to an angel, I am not one. I am not an animal with God given wings. Tenure of good nature is required to even become one. My very being is far from any chance of higher calling."

"Why must you think so ill of yourself? Does it not matter that others think so fondly of you?" Bella squeezed her arms tighter around his neck, comforting him with genuine innocence that he knew he could not house within himself.

"There are times when thinking fondly of oneself is not plausible."

"Negative thoughts only condone that more. I beseech you from applying negative thoughts to yourself in my presence." Bella straightened her body, hoping to portray a sense of authority.

He nodded. "I will do my best to honor your request for the meantime." He paused a few moments, enchanted by the soft lullaby of Bella's breathing. The rising and falling of her chest, her beating heart the closest he felt to any sector of religion. "You would without a doubt be betrothed to angelhood. I am much too much a philosopher to be an angel."

Bella sighed. Instilling confidence in an old creature such as hers would take time and patience.

"Would you like to take flight, Isabella?" The Creature never pivoted his head, still preventing a clear view of his face for her to have.

"Yes." There had never been a truer statement uttered.

The Creature needed no running start as he leapt from the twig thin branch. Bella's heart skipped a beat, waiting for the inevitable freefall. Her voice remained lodged in her throat, her eyes widening on the rare sight in front of her.

Bella could not deny his grace. He landed safely without a rustle upon the new branch, a few feet lower than the last. The scratchy extensions from the trunk never graced her skin as the Creature kept them to a wide berth.

"That was…surreal." Bella exhaled, her mind composing that exact moment for future recollection. For future dreams and times to come, when she yearned for a vision that would grant her happiness.

"Would you like another, Isabella?" The Creature knew the answer to be affirmative, but delighted in hearing how much this one ability made her beam with unbridled joy.

"Oh yes! Please, do go on!" She hugged him tighter, giving him a blessed thank you.

For two hours, the Creature and Bella hopped, jumped and defied gravity. Bella loved the brief interval of time where she felt supernatural, she felt extraordinary. Oh to feel like she could do anything her heart desired! The Creature never let up with her, never ceasing to halt to catch his breath. Her energy fueled his own. He absorbed it, letting it infiltrate his hard, cold skin.

"The bird I asked you to seek out was one residing in southern Canada. I journeyed there mere moments after our meeting yesterday. I knew that its kind was rare and wanted to gift you with its uniqueness." The Creature iterated to her as they continued their flights.

"Southern Canada? Your legs can carry you that far in a matter of hours?"

"This is true."

Bella layed her cheek upon the back of his head, choice strands of the Creature's penny colored hair gracing her vision.

Would she ever be blessed with the chance to fully see the Creature? She had not taken for granted the rare occasion before her. She could not fathom how a being's back and hair could encapsulate loveliness. They were simple structures that composed the whole of the Creature.

Bella felt downright silly as she entertained the idea of lying in a field of the Creature's hair. They were silky smooth upon her cheek. She could only imagine what it would feel like to rest among them. As long as his scent is there too, she rationalized.

The soft footfalls of the Creature's shoes bounced off the bark of trees. Bella noticed small animals fleeing once he arrived. Their tails between their legs, they scurried hurriedly into their little holes or leapt to nearby trees.

She could not deny how impenetrable the Creatures skin was. Her eyes focused on the back of his neck and the place his shoulder blades connected. The muscles flexed in sinewy movements, never permeating secretions humans normally would with a task as taxing as the Creature was performing.

She found only one material with which she could align his exterior with. Marble as white and hard as any of Michelangelo's sculptures. She knew him to be beautifully crafted, she foresaw it. Akin to the structure of the masterpieces, the Creature was not hollow. Man can not survive on emptiness; they must have love, philosophy and be able to spread their wings. No matter if they think nothing of themselves, everyone is capable of grandeur wishes granted.

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." She whispered the quote from said artist, seeing it fit for this occasion.

The Creature contemplated her offering. He responded, caressing the knuckles of her hand. He catered the thought of his heart beating once again.

The steady rhythm of the swinging and soaring placed Bella in a lull. She closed her eyes, letting the swaying soothe her like a rocking crib.

**///////////////////**

All too soon, Bella's time in the air had come to an end. The Creature forewarned her when her vision would turn blurry again.

Once she straightened out her lightly wrinkled clothing, she faced the Creature. He was tidying up his own appearance as well.

"Creature, I thank you for making my dream come true."

"You're welcome, Isabella. I but only wish you could fully experience it all on your own. It is quite marveling to have the feeling of being airborne."

Bella had a peculiar sense that if she asked the question on the tip of her tongue, the Creature might side step it. "May I ask how you came about being the animal you are?"

The Creature did not answer at first. Bella, all eager ears, waited patiently. It was a constant waiting game with her time with him, which inevitably would have to end with a winner. For the ultimate reply, she did not know what it would be.

"I'm not asking for secrets, only answers." He had always done almost anything she asked, Bella could only hope he would care to do so on behalf of himself.

"Isabella, my likeness is nothing to handle lightly. I am not looking to scare but every time you are around me, you are tempting fate. I can tell---"

Bella stubbornly stiffened her shoulders, cutting him off in mid sentence. "I will not stoop to your level of bringing unhealthy hate upon yourself. I am to decide how I spend my time."

"While that is all well and good, would you rather know what you are getting yourself into?"

"I desire my days to be spent with you for as long as they let me. Being up in those trees made me feel…alive for once. And dare I say you were alive." How could she not know what would put him at ease? She may not have a visual to go on, but she knew his internal spirit and the way he spoke were that of a being embracing joy for once.

"Oh how untrue your words ring!" The Creature boomed. Bella cautiously stepped back, his voice straying away from its usual calm. "There will be nothing alive about me. I died a long time ago. Now, I am a feral source of animalistic ways. You're not in my presence at all hours, but if you were…you'd be sorry to ever associate with me."

The Creature collapsed on their rock, his head hung low. His arms lay defeated on his knees. "And what is worse? You can't see it."

Bella had naught witnessed the Creature in this state before. She hastened forth to perch at his side. "Does no way exist for me to see you all the time?"

"It's not that, Isabella. None of this is up to me. There is another entity at play, for both you and myself. And you know it all too well, but sadly you are unaware all the same."

The way the Creature spoke to her was much the same as spinning around endlessly. She had the urge to retreat, much like the animals in the trees, with her tail between her legs.

He was a cause that needed saving.

He was a cause that needed to be free.


	5. Bella at 15

A/N: Sorry for the update delay. There will be two more chapters after this.

* * *

Bella at 15 

"Please welcome your valedictorian, Miss Isabella Swan." Bella graced the stage set outside, among the green grass and ever growing sycamores. There was a small chorus of applause, as the audience was a small one. Bella settled her index cards upon the podium, clearing her throat before beginning her speech.

"If there is one thing I know, there is a life that we do not know of yet. Our greatest discoveries and trials have yet to come about. Nothing will challenge us more than the lives we have yet to lead. While we have the fundamental tools to start our lives, it is but our forthcoming lessons that will pave who we are."

At the close of her sweeping end note, Bella smiled out to the gathering. She made eye contact with her mother and father, both clapping and smiling for their gifted daughter.

Bella had wished that the Creature would show face. She held onto hope that he would attend such an occasion. An important occurrence in her life that would touch her for always. But he did not appear at her graduation.

She did search begrudgingly for Annabelle. Her embodiment had slowly started appearing again in her life, but in a far less frightening manner. She stood on the outskirts of her mind, longing to be back in Bella's good graces. Alas, Annabelle was nowhere in sight on this day.

Once the commencement concluded, Bella met up with her mother and father.

"Congratulations, Bells." Charlie encircled his arms around his daughter. Midway through, his hacking cough had started up again. It had been plaguing him for weeks. There was no identifying source, for Charlie had not smoked a cigarette in his life nor had he been cursed with any discernible breathing ailment.

"Thank you, Father. I couldn't be more delighted than to be through with high school." Bella glanced at her parents.

Renee congratulated her daughter next, kissing her on the cheek. "Dear, it was a lovely speech."

Many universities wanted the gifted, advanced Bella to study at their schools. To have a prodigy was an honor and read well by society and the media. But she had not planned to attend university in the fall, opting to choose a place of her liking later on.

Annabelle however, had an entirely different view.

"Why must you stay? There is nothing keeping you here."

"Have you no feelings, Annabelle? My family is here. Have you no concept of that?"

"Yes, I am well aware of such a thing. But, nothing will happen if you go away. If you sit and stew here, you will have to deal with so much more." Annabelle ran her fingers along the edge of Bella's desk. "Out of sight out of mind, no pun intended there."

Bella sat on the edge of her bed, twisting the cotton around her fingers. "What of the Creature? There is nothing in the world that can unbind me from him."

"He is but condemned to that forest. Do you desire to be condemned too?"

"But I have doubts about that." She had her suspicions concerning the Creature and how he lived. She had known that he was the one to have rescued her from the alley two years ago. On another note, how was he able to bring her treats in the morning or pick fresh flowers that she knew were not flourishing in any part of the forest.

He had to have journeyed beyond the vast nature for any of these items.

After learning that she would be receiving the honor of valedictorian, she had worked on her speech. She went as far as printing it in Braille in the event he did show up, her sight surely would've blurred if he had come.

"The Creature is nothing if not honest with you. Why would he lie to you about something so big?"

"How do I know I can trust you? You have been nothing but this imaginary figment to me my whole life." Annabelle stood up, walking to her beloved warbler in its cage. Bella had never known what Annabelle was to her. What was she and was she the right person to adhere any kind of advice from?

"You think of me as only a fake image in your mind? Isabella, I am offended. I thought of you as a friend all these years."

Bella removed the bird from its cage, allowing it to sit on her index finger. The bird chirped, Bella responded in a similar fashion.

The air between them needed time to dissipate. Bella wanted nothing more than to tame Annabelle. Her loyalty to the strangest of suggestions was what scared her. She feared that if Annabelle told her to leap from the nearest bridge, Bella would have no choice but to do so.

"My mind is set. I do not plan on leaving here. You will not make me go." Bella petted the warbler, eying Annabelle and her fading figure.

"I am disappointed, Isabella. So very disappointed."

**///////////////////**

The summer was one of the best Bella could ever dream of. The weather was more than cooperative with the sun shining more than half of the days of the three months that made up the summertime.

Bella found it freeing to do as she pleased, with no agenda in sight. She was being selfish and liked every bit of it. She spent her days researching new technologies related to bird watching; sonar devices and binoculars with powerful optimization. She memorized thousands of species and sub-species of birds, even memorizing more bird calls.

The one thing she truly enjoyed were the flying trips with the Creature. He would take her to unseen territories of the forest, showing her the various species she had researched that very day.

He would drop her off a certain distance, before she took a closer look. "Why do you always stand so far away from the animals?"

"On the contrary, they stand far away from me." The Creature leaned against a sycamore, watching Bella interact with the bird.

"Are you not friendly to them? You are aware of the saying 'treat someone as you want to be treated.'" Bella smoothed the feathers of the bird standing on her fingers.

The Creature smiled. "That is the very problem. It is against my nature to treat them nicely."

"But what about me?" She contemplated her next words. "Are you treating me nicely for any particular reason?"

The Creature remained unwavering in his declaration. He was always precise and careful with every word he said. "I am unable to treat you horribly. It's ingrained in me to be alluring and take care of you."

Bella lifted her hand to the air, letting the bird flutter away. She blindly walked toward the Creature, unfamiliar with her new setting. The Creature kept his spot, watching with piqued interest as Bella circled the tree he was leaning against.

She ran her hand along the rough bark, the jagged bumps scratching under her nails. The texture under her hand changed, when she came upon the Creatures clothed back. Bella trailed her fingers on his bare forearms, the sinewy muscles flexed under her touch. He was cold, colder than any form of ice.

She tilted her head to, gazing up at the golden beacons, his eyes. Only they were not of the friendly color she longed to look into without any blurry hindrance. They were coal, black as night and dark as a tunnel.

"Are you sick, Creature?" Bella slowly lifted her palm to the Creatures face. "Your eyes are of a dark I have not seen before."

The Creature stepped back, giving him a healthy distance. "I think its time for you to go home."

Bella knew him all too well. "I am allowed to stay out late. It is the summer. In addition, I don't have schooling anymore."

"I am not meant to talk to you about my illness just yet. If I do so now, I will not be able to control it."

_Enough with the timing_, Bella wanted to shout at him. She wanted to find all the clocks in the world and beat them into submission. "I care not to hear about the concept of time ever again. What good is time if all we do is sit around and wait for it? Surely your illness is not a life-threatening or infectious one."

The Creature did not answer right away, careful with his words yet again. "You can not simply catch what I have, but it can be given."

"What is the difference between the two?"

The Creature could not take much more from her. "Please, Isabella. Do not tempt me today."

Bella would get her answers. One way or another, she wouldn't give up. And if time was something the Creature wanted to play with, then she will do some playing of it herself.

"Creature, I can not be patient any longer. I will be around here for the next year and then I will be gone. I'm afraid I have to give you a deadline."

He chuckled, but it was not of a humorous nature. "Deadline? You are giving me a _deadline_?"

Bella straightened herself up, portraying the solidification of her statement. "Yes. I am."

The Creature stalked toward her, his nostrils flaring. "Isabella, you do not understand what you are making me do when you give me a deadline." He was close to spitting the words at her, wrapping her in a reality she wanted but was unable to achieve.

"Why do your own personal preferences come before my own? I give so much to you. I have shown you I am yours. There is no way for me to escape; it's instilled in my bones. I have a feeling that even if I was to trade marrow with someone, the very being of you would still be there."

"Of course it would, so why are you pushing the time issue? Can't we enjoy what we have before…?" He began, but did not finish.

"Before what?" Bella had caught on that the Creature made a slip.

"Before…all of this is…" The Creature could not finish. He was drawing a line for himself. No more shall be revealed.

"And you ramble on about tempting. You're the very one dangling it in front of me, and I can't even see it." Bella stomped away from the Creature.

The Creature stood in front of Bella. Her back pressed against a foreign tree, his hands pressed on the wood on either side of her head. He closed his eyes, willing her to stay and not wander. His wants were answered, as he removed the cage he created for her.

"My eyes shift color depending on the intensity of my illness. When I am healthy, they are golden. However, there are times when I am very sick and they are the color you see now. I haven't reached this level of illness in so long, but when I am close to destruction, my eyes become red. And Isabella, you do not want to see me red."

The Creature tucked wayward strands of hair behind her shoulder. "I would never be around you when I'm red. It is infectious at that stage."

Bella breathed a sigh of relief. She dared not to stare him in the eyes; the realization at the possibility that she bit off more than she could chew swallowing her. "There. Was that so hard?"

The Creature found it quite the opposite. "Easier than I thought." His finger caressed Bella's jaw, the warmth, the inviting scent of her permeating his nostrils. "Relieving in many ways."

**////////////////////**

Our fair Bella Swan ventured with her mother on several excursions to town, bonding in ways mothers and daughters do.

"What do you think of these?" Renee dangled a pair of blue homemade earrings she spotted at a craft fair.

"I think the pink ones are lovelier."

Renee and Bella both made purchases, before walking along the endless stretch of booths.

"Bella, I would like to talk to you about your future." Renee had never found a comfortable way to discuss this topic with her daughter. She discovered that when her daughter was distracted, she was the most honest.

"What about it?" Bella tried on a pair of summery sunglasses, tilting her head and testing the sun on them.

"Well, specifically your reason for staying around. I do love it, believe me, but you are capable of things beyond this town." Renee fiddled with a wide-brimmed sun hat. "I don't want to see your future go to waste."

Bella placed the glasses back in their designated spot. "I understand, mother." She did not know what to say to her. She could not share her secret meetings with the Creature; in fact she found that her mind blocked her from even thinking of any aspect of him, when her secret forest life entered her real one. Annabelle was the exception to this rule; she was always the exception.

"It's so hard to watch you sit around and throw your life away. I don't--"

Bella had reached the point where she had grown tired of others constantly directing her life. "I am not wasting my life, mother. Fifteen is but a young age. How could I throw my life away at such a young age, when I still have many years to go?"

"I have been very worried about you for a while. The constant time in your room, the trips to the forest. I hear you talking at night sometimes, but I know there is no one in your room."

Bella had a full plate of questions that needed answering. Where to begin? "I am studying and reading in my room. There are times I repeat things out loud when I have a hard time understanding a topic. As for my trips to the forest, I like having alone time, where no one can bother me about their worries over being cooped up in my room all day."

"Don't get fresh with me. I'm your mother, I need to worry."

"Be nice to her." Bella found Annabelle hovering just behind Renee. "You never know when she will not be around anymore, whether across the country or in another place."

Bella decided to ignore Annabelle's advice, and appease her mother instead. "Fine, I will look into a few schools for the fall."

As she searched for a place to attend for university, she continued to enjoy her daily activities.

While she still made her daily trips to the forest, Bella still had her trepidations with the Creature. The tension between the two of them would've easily been sliced by a knife. It was an intense sensation which she could not explain nor want to. Ignorance was rather blissful.

She could only describe it as internal fibers weaving themselves together inside of her brain. They were emotions of highs and lows. Many of them she had not known to have possessed.

They were a chemical mixture of complex feelings for the Creature. How he made her angry and frustrated. How she could not help but be joyous and feel love for him despite it all. She knew all this to have been around for quite some time, but it was making itself more aware.

Part of this awakening was Annabelle's fault.

Annabelle told her of grand love stories that she had experienced in her time.

"There once was a girl." She began. "She kept to herself, only made a select amount of friends. She had two sisters, both of which were older and already married off. This left her both saddened and eager to find a love of her own."

"One day, she went out shopping with her mother and father. She was never a firm believer of love at first sight. How silly that a person could automatically know they would love another. It was preposterous to her. The idea near disgusted her."

"Then, she saw him. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was a charm about him. She stared at him, willed him to look at her. And across the way, standing near a fruit stand, he met her eyes. They stayed like that, staring into each others. The world went on and they never wanted to leave. Never wanted to look at anything else again."

"Finally, the boy walked toward the girl. She took in the rest of him and loving everything about him before he even spoke a word. He carried himself with confidence. She knew that he would be the kind to make her laugh, encourage her in endeavors, and take care of her for always."

"Just as he reached her, both the boy and girl were pulled away by their parents. The girl and the boy did not if they would see each other again. It would have been the utmost horrible thing in their lives if they didn't."

"School would soon begin and a mere three weeks later, the girl and boy did end up seeing each other again. She recognized the pageboy hat, the slightly tattered jacket he wore. She almost ran into him full force, throwing her entire weight on him."

"They finally exchanged contacts and never left each others side. They were peas in a pod and each others best friend. They walked the streets together, talking for hours on end, arm in arm. They exchanged letters and small tokens of love. They could not foresee themselves with another; there was no other ending in sight to their love story but one of joy."

Annabelle inhaled deeply, gathering her strength to continue with the tale.

"After almost a year together, the boy proposed marriage to the girl. She was so happy, joyous to be alive and in love. She could not believe that she had a boy in her life that loved her so dearly. She skipped the whole way home to tell the news to her family."

"While the families did not wholeheartedly approve of this courtship, due to their young age, the couple felt no need to wait."

"On April twenty eighth they were due to be married. They had no desire to plan anything big; their love said it all for them. Even their rings were not of extravagance."

"Two nights before the wedding, the young couple spent their last night together before being separated until the big day. It was rather dark outside as the boy escorted the girl home. The boy and girl heard strange noises as they continued their journey home."

"Suddenly, a pale figure appeared a few feet in front of them. This thing was extremely pale, whiter than any human being. The boy placed the girl behind him, ready to defend her. It came closer and attempted to pull the girl away from the boy."

"The boy managed to free her. He told her to run. Run home." Annabelle choked up at her own words. "She ran, not looking back at the scene going on behind her."

"The girl waited to hear from the boy, hoping for his safe return. She waited days, but nothing. She went to hospitals in search of him, went to his parents home. She looked everywhere. On the fourth day, she came home and broke down. She cried herself to sleep for hours. She would not eat anything. She had no will to take care of her body or health."

"The boy's family held a memorial, as there was no body recovered. The girl was inconsolable as mourners offered their condolences. She wept for many moons after, refusing any help from her family. She had only wished there was a comfort in knowing the truth."

"Some years later, the girl had not found another. She went on with schooling and had many suitors vie for her attention. But her heart belonged to the boy for always. She made a promise to herself that she would never lay her sight on another boy ever again, for as long as she lived."

Tears filled Bella's eyes at the most heart-wrenching of stories. Oh how she had hoped for a happy ending! There must be a happily ever after for the girl.

"What happened to the girl?" Bella could not keep her voice steady.

"Her heart remained broken until she passed on. She lived not passed the age of thirty, dying of illness that could've easily been cured but it did not come in time."

Bella's lip trembled with sorrow and sadness for the girl who never received her happy ending. Bella could only hope that this would not become her.

"The Creature and you are most certainly a unique love story." Annabelle sat on the edge of Bella's bed, who lay on her stomach, completely enraptured with Annabelle's words. "It is one that spans time and all imaginations. People will enjoy the incredible journey you two will continue to go on."

"How far do you see us lasting?" Bella was wide-eyed and hopeful. Oh let it last, it must!

"Your story…" Annabelle gathered her words. "…will go on forever."

And so, Annabelle and Bella became inseparable even more so. Bella relied on Annabelle and her optimism. Happiness was very addicting, as Bella's nights were filled with stories and lessons spoken to her by Annabelle.

Even though Bella saw Annabelle all the time, she wondered why her imaginary confidante was so attached to her. She had thought it obvious early on in the summer that Annabelle was furious with her for staying behind. That she was desperate and close to cutting ties.

She could not help but feel emotionally whiplashed. The staggering highs she had with Annabelle were on the same level as the scary lows she had experienced. There was one thing for sure about Annabelle: she had an addicting personality. The kind that could devour you and take over your body.

Something had changed Annabelle's tune and it was not a realization on her part. She was as stubborn as they came and never a supporter of grey areas. Bella kept a suspicious eye out for Annabelle, waiting on the next straw that would break the camel's back.


	6. Bella at 16

A/N: Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts through this difficult time. In return, I bring you a chapter. One more chapter after this one.

* * *

Bella at 16

Ah, to be sixteen and with so much on the horizon!

Bella could not believe her luck. She possessed not only the benefit of wonderful parents, but what she hoped to be the first of many successes in her hobby.

Bella decided to not only enjoy her flying trips with the Creature, but to photograph the bird subjects she came across as well. She found great delight in snapping tiny moments of their wings fluttering or cradling a worm in their mouths. There was nothing more beautiful to her than seeing an animal in its true natural form. Bella also had an inkling that others would love to see them in their glory as well.

She found there was a need for some of these images in numerous publications. Bella made inquiries and sent many a photo out. Once she received agreements, Bella delivered the pictures and received word they would be used in upcoming issues.

She found the work load and compensation were sufficient enough to save up and spend at her leisure. She had received an allowance from her parents as she grew, but earning her own keep brought a sense of pride to our fair Bella. The first true signs of her impending independence brought a sense of pride to her.

In a matter of weeks, Bella would be off to college. She hoped to think she had nerves of steel, realizing that she would be on the other side of the country from her parents. Bella had been accepted to an Ivy League school, provided a guardian lived within the vicinity of the campus. For Bella Swan was of a tender age not seen in many universities.

It so happened that Bella had an Aunt Cheryl who resided no more than a half hour from said school. Along with this good fortune, she got on well with her aunt.

She was so very lucky indeed. There was so much to look forward to.

However, Bella could not but feel anxious about the Creature and his role in all of this. Bella hoped to be subtle and test him. Would he go along with Bella to the other side of the country or remain in the forest he had told her he could not leave? There had to be a way, surely there must be.

Annabelle reassured her that the Creature and Bella had a love story. Love stories never ended tragically or unhappily, especially the one of Bella and the Creature. He could not abandon her and expect it to turn out happily. There was no other way.

But what if their love story was one of resilience and strength grown over distance? All of the sudden, Bella felt her luck shifting and changing at that thought. She would have everything dreamed of by countless humans, but the one thing that mattered the most to her would not be around. This was not a possibility. The Creature must be within a reasonable distance.

Bella sat at the edge of her bed, the throbbing in her chest traveling in the form of a lump to her throat. The tiny warbler, loyal to her all these years, provided ill comfort as she contemplated about the future she could be faced with.

A life without the Creature? It was preposterous. It could not be.

Bella had found a hole in her plan and did not know if she was capable of mending it.

**//////////////////////**

Bella woke up especially early to talk with the Creature. She had to convince him to journey with her to the other side of the country somehow. Surely he could travel along with her, flying through trees until he reached her new residence. And what perfection was there that Cheryl lived scant distance from a forest in her backyard.

Her plan came to a halt early in the day when she happened upon a note lying next to her on a pillow.

_Dearest Isabella,_

_I regret to inform you that I will not be in the forest for the next three days. I have important matters to attend to with my family. _

_Do not fret; they are not of serious consequences. There is a mere misunderstanding that must be remedied. _

_Please know that you are in my thoughts and I miss you terribly already._

_Love always,_

_Creature_

The notes that Bella received from the Creature always brought happiness to her, but this one did nothing but infuriate. Why must he play games?

"It's because he cares." Annabelle, oh that meddler of meddlers had to appear now!

Bella made no move to speak to her. While it was cruel to think, she was glad for Annabelle's blindness. Bella had decided to stand up and exit the room whenever Annabelle entered. It was childish, but the way this imaginary figment was behaving was not mature either.

"Bella, please don't leave the room. I may be blind, but I am not stupid."

She did not listen. Bella walked down the stairs, seemingly without a care in the world. It was almost lunch time as Bella decided to head to the kitchen. Her mother was busy preparing a tuna salad sandwich with homemade chips for Charlie.

"Good afternoon, mother." Bella greeted her with a quick nod. She opened the cabinet door and grabbed a can of soup. Bella proceeded to open the can and warm it up in a pot. She moseyed about; acting like no one was there in her head, even when Bella could not simply imagine its existence.

"Oh hello, Bella." Renee was not in the mood for pleasantries, even with her own daughter. "Could you get your father's glass? I forgot to bring it in with me."

Bella proceeded to the living room, where her father was stationed in his armchair. The television blared loud and clear with a sporting event, but Bella was not aware of what kind.

"Good afternoon, father." Bella snatched the glass off the coffee table next to him.

Charlie's head hung heavy, barely able to register a nod for Bella. It seemed every year since the freak incident at the gas station; he had become even wearier. There were innumerous sleepless nights and 'what ifs' that Charlie wrestled around with in his head. The mystery of that incident might have been intriguing, if it didn't make him depressed.

Over the years, he could not give up on it. This in turn put a strain on his marriage. Charlie had a clean record before the shooting. He felt he simply could not be the same Chief he was before. There was no desire to continue to be the workaholic family man that he had been. In the end, Charlie's pride had been shaken to its very core. He no longer wanted to be the Chief and insisted on demoting himself, feeling unfit for the field. Instead, he slaved away at a desk and answering calls.

Bella turned on her heels back to her mother. She glanced in the glass, noticing remnants of pop. Bella twisted open a bottle and poured it in. She was on her way out when her mother called her back.

"Oh Bella, don't bring that out yet. Your father likes a little extra something in it." Renee didn't dare tell Bella what it was, for fear it would upset her.

"Okay." But Bella was not of the ignorant kind.

Bella continued to watch over her soup, letting it boil to a comfortable temperature.

"Bella?" Renee added ice to Charlie's drink.

"Yes mother?"

"You know I hate to drive. I'm terrible at it, especially that stick shift your father insists on. Anyway, I was wondering if you can drive your father to work tomorrow."

"Isn't tomorrow the anniversary of the…?" The mention of what caused Charlie distraught was never uttered in the house.

"It is. But," Renee leaned back against the countertop, completely weathered and worn. "I'm beat, Bella. I feel my joints aching all over and I've been very queasy. I might go to the doctor tomorrow." Renee sat on her words for a couple of seconds, "Actually…"

"What?"

"I could drop your father off in the morning and then go see Dr. Betty. That makes more sense."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Bella was about to offer one more way out for her mother, but a tiny, imperceptible voice inside encouraged her to stay quiet. The words swam in her head, filtered into her mouth but would not exit into the air.

Bella returned to her room with her soup ladled into a bowl.

_Good girl_, Annabelle thought to herself, knowing Bella would not hear her celebratory words.

**/////////////////////**

"Bella? Bella?" Annabelle had not stopped trying to wake her for the past half hour.

Finally, there was a stirring. "Annabelle, I insist you leave me alone and let me sleep."

"Unfortunately, I am a needy…'figment', as you call me." Annabelle detested such a degrading word.

"And I am a needy teenager who abhors being awoken from a delightful sleep. So, goodnight until dawn breaks."

Annabelle had grown from concerned to antsy in a matter of minutes. Her emotions were temperamental, but she knew she must speak with Bella before she saw the Creature again in the morning.

She had a bad feeling that the timing of their conversation would be of terrible consequences. But even Annabelle had doubts about many of her emotions lately. They were relentless and untamable. Often times, Annabelle had to still herself and truly think about her words before even expressing them to fair Bella Swan.

This uneasiness in turn filled Bella's insides in the form of butterflies. She did not know how to approach the Creature with her dilemma. Traveling great distances required great commitment and willingness. Most of all, strong feelings. There was no time to side step the issue. Bella had to know if the Creature truly felt how she did. The words were there, but can the Creature physically show it in one way or another?

So on this fair day, weeks before her departure for college, Bella made the decision to finally ask the Creature for a physical sign of his devotion.

Because what is for a true sign of love than with a simple kiss?

"Do you like me in the way I like you?"

"My feelings for you are ones we mutually share."

"Then why do you not act on them?"

"Dearest Isabella, you are acting on chemicals in your body that are out of need and not want. It is not my intention to be only yours in the summer, but for all seasons." The Creature knew it dangerous for Bella to ask of such a request. It was as lethal as the very nature he possessed inside of him.

Bella, irritated that he will not do the honor of kissing her, folded her arms in child-like disappointment. "My heart is in this too. Do you think I would deny you it?"

"No, you will not. This I know to be true."

"I have been as patient as any one person can handle. I fear that my decision to hold off higher education was out of vain."

The Creature could not answer, for he knew it would not affect the current outcome. He knew he would follow where she went, but she did not know how far he would travel. Was he only in existence in the town of Forks? Must he always have green surround him? Unknowns that frightened her and prevented any risk she may take. But what good is living when you are afraid to do so?

"Isabella, you are free to do as you wish. My opinion should not matter to you as much as you think it should."

Bella, as scolded by his words as hot water on her skin, jumped from her spot. "Is this what I am hearing? Your opinion on the matters in my life has been nothing short of dictation. You have been telling me that our time is to be filled with patience until you say so."

"No, it is until _you_ say so. My words are cited to you from the directions _you _will go in." He had no way of making her see that everything she did told the very future they would have.

"How do I know that all of this has been for naught? How am I to know that you could be the marionette to my puppet? If that is the case, then I'm afraid I must be off." Bella strode quickly to the outer circle of their area.

The Creature did not let her get very far though. He blocked her path, stepping toward her as her back hit a moss covered tree.

Bella absorbed the desperate trembling from his body. His breath fanned her face, igniting a deep blush upon her cheeks. His hand pressed into the decades old trunk.

"Forgive me, Dearest Isabella. My reactions are by far my weakest asset. I wholeheartedly wish so many selfish acts, but they can not be mine. Not yet."

"Not yet? Time stands in our way it seems, yet again. Time is of the essence and unfortunately, it is a spare item in my book." Bella slide to the side to make her exit, but the Creatures hand slammed down to block her way yet again.

They stood not uttering a phrase. Bella, while unable to have a crystal clear view of him, learned how to read his body language and meaning behind his words. Oh how easily decipherable his words were! Whenever he would stand close to her, he was at his wits end and aching for a favor. The times he emitted elation he would pace back and forth, animatedly talking with his hands; flashes of white hand shaped waves fluttered in her vision.

This new stance in front of her was not one she was familiar with. His face so close, if she was gifted with a look at him, she would have the ability to count his eyelashes. She traced his blurry features with her eyes. His lips easily competed with the color of honey, his tongue gently appearing from between them. His nose straight as an arrow, yet seemingly crooked in its disposition.

Those eyes, oh how they deceived her. They were as shifty as his emotions.

His emotions. What could Bella have made of them in that moment? She had witnessed many a time when a boy leaned into a girl like the Creature was. A giggle, fluttering eyelids, possibly a hand drawing a blush upon a cheek, all taking place before a kiss.

Oh he was so cruel to let her hold the apple but not take a bite!

Bella took the Creature's own advice and thought less of his opinion. Tilting her head, preparing for a fateful kiss, Bella pursed her untouched lips. Her breath hitched, her eyelids closing at their own accord. Air escaped between the thin line of his lips.

"Stop!" A voice urged, but it was not one Bella had expected to hear. Annabelle had intercepted the merging of the Creature and Bella.

The Creature closed his eyes, turning his head ever slightly to the left. His nose skimmed mere inches from her neck.

"Bella, you don't have to take any of his advice, but you must listen to what your heart is telling you." Annabelle, pleading with every ounce of energy, begged with clasped hands.

Annabelle had never appeared in the presence of the Creature and her at the same time.

Bella silently vowed to have a talk with Annabelle later. She could not have the Creature think her a lunatic. What kind of person would the Creature think of Bella if she had imaginary figures in her head?

"He would never think that of you. He couldn't." Annabelle addressed Bella's plight.

"I'm sorry, I feel unbearably ill today. There is something not right that I can't quite place." Bella confessed to the Creature, her lips trembling, tears that threatened to fall.

Bella became ill with fear early in the day. Upon seeing her parents off merely an hour ago, she grew even more uneasy and out of place. She could not put a finger on it.

"Has there been an occurrence you are unsure of?"

Bella sidled her way from underneath his cage of arms. The presence of Annabelle in her life was never made aware to the Creature. She had in no way thought he ever needed to know. True, Annabelle was aware of the Creature; how could she not know when Annabelle existed in Bella's mind? There bound to be overlap.

The boldness of Bella's previous actions still freely flowed in her veins, as she made the decision to inform the Creature of _who_ had been living in her mind.

Bella nervously played with her fingers, pacing back and forth. Her feet formed a distinct patch in the leaf covered dirt. "Creature, I'm unsure how to confess this. My mind is not of normality. There is a separate entity that exists in my mind. She…she tends to express her opinion in ways that frighten me. Every emotion is accentuated and borderline desperate. There is only so much one person can withstand without feeling anxious. And I feel on edge all the time now with her constant need to direct my life."

The Creature, his hands clasped behind his back, strode in a wide circle around Bella. His head bowed at the ground. "Can you conclude that it is desperation and not the simple fact that she could be passionate?"

This was not the way she thought their conversation would start. "Aren't you at all concerned with a fake figment in my head?"

"Nothing about you is fake, Isabella. I appreciate all parts of you, including and especially the ones that are imaginary."

Annabelle giggled. Bella had not heard Annabelle give so much as a wide smile before; a giggle was surely an intriguing surprise.

Would the Creature like to hear of this? "My figment giggled at you." This caused Bella to smile as well.

The Creature smiled. "Ah, I'm glad she is flattered." He stepped forward, gracing his hand to Bella's cheek. "Bella, never be afraid to tell me such things. Never fret because I care to know what happens to you. All of you."

Bella sought out his eyes. She was relieved to see they were on the gold side this day. "I won't. But…I wanted to talk to you about---"

"Shhh, wait." The Creature held his hand out for Bella to halt her words for a moment. He did not move for a loud murmur of voices was heard not too far away from where they were.

"What is it?" Bella could not decipher any sound. Her human ears would not be able to.

"We will have visitors in a matter of moments. I must not be here when they come. Isabella?" Gripping her shoulders, the Creature urged her to heed his warning. "You must promise me you will come back."

"Why would I not?"

"Just promise you will." The Creature insisted, hoping to all that would hear him that she would find it in her heart to return to him after the day was over.

"I promise."

"Now, go. Go! They are looking for you." The Creature disappeared among the trees, not even a rattle of leaves from a nearby bush signaled his exit.

Bella's sight returned as she began her journey back. Her legs carrying her as fast as they could, her feet feeling for the soft patches of Earth beneath. Her heart raced and her breathing sped up.

"Bella!" A woman's voice beckoned to her.

A chorus of tenors bounced across the vast greenery. There had to have been at least a half a dozen people looking for Bella.

Bella recognized only one of them; the soothing voice of Dr. Betty.

But Dr. Betty was to see Renee about her illness? Why was Dr. Betty helping comb the forest for Bella? Where were Charlie and Renee? They would certainly be searching for her before anyone else.

Bella ran faster, finally shouting out, "I'm over here."

"Bella? Stay where you are and we'll come to you." A booming male voice called back.

Within that minute, Bella was greeted by two faces, first Dr. Betty and Officer Miles.

"Dr. Betty? Miles? How did you know where to find me? What has you so urgently seeking my presence?"

The two adults shared a look that only those who saw the most awful thing could share.

"Bella, I can not express how sorry I am with what I am about to say." Officer Miles paused before continuing. "Your mother and father were involved in a car accident a couple of hours ago. They suffered trauma to their bodies that was irrevocable and they passed away from their injuries shortly after the accident."

The words floated in the atmosphere, Bella failed to comprehend them.

No, no, how could this be! Bella could not form any vocabulary of her own. They fluttered around in her throat but came up as choking sobs. She held her stomach, holding her insides in place. Bella nearly collapsed before Dr. Betty prevented her from falling over.

Bella knew she had a bad feeling this morning. She couldn't place but oh how she wished she had! _Why, why?_, was all she could find capable of thinking.

She struggled to be released from the doctor's arms. "Let me go! Let me go!" Bella ran, tripping over a root before regaining her balance.

"Bella come back!" Miles shouted, but Bella would not hear it.

She dodged thin branches hanging in her way. She stumbled into trees when the sobs would not let up enough for her to control her legs. This was the cruelest of fates, why must this happen to our fair Bella Swan!

Her vision blurred as she let the salty tears roll even more. He was nearby, but she did not want to face him.

"Let me see! I can not make it back home with clouded vision!" The scratchiness in her voice could not be cleared.

Bella now had the temporary blindness to handle. Beyond that, she ventured into a nearly obscure part of the forest that she never explored. It would be near impossible to reach her house under such conditions.

"Let me go! Please, I beg you. Why won't you let me go?" Bella collapsed against a redwood, standing tall and proud above her. The cries inside distorting her face into a beautiful sad lullaby.

The sky soon felt her pain and sent tears of it own down on her. It mourned for poor Bella Swan, lost and parent-less. It added to her current despair; being lost, wet and cold in the woods.

"If you loved me, you would help me home." Bella whispered to the night, thinking that he would not hear her. True love can not live over any measure of distance; it must be huddled close and safe. "Love does not run away."

Bella listened to the rain cling onto the dirt, forming tiny puddles of mud. The trees soaked in the moisture, the wet feeding the moss. What else was there for her to do than to wait out the storm and the tragic incident of what she once thought was true love?

"Bella, you must get up." Annabelle, ever so quiet through all this, lent an unusually kind encouragement. "You'll catch a cold."

"It is of no bother to me." Bella stared at the air, unable to understand anything at the moment.

"I will help guide you home. You have to trust me though." What had come over Annabelle to be a kind hand to Bella?

"Forgive me, but trustworthy is the least quality I associate you with."

"You must let me help you this way. I am aware I've done unforgivable things, but, I have never steered you wrong from home."

"How will you help me? You are as blind as I am."

"Once blindness takes over, your other senses heighten and help you. I know this forest like the back of my hand, while I'm blind."

Bella was not in the mindset to think of a better solution, as she stood to follow Annabelle.

"There's a misshapen branch up ahead, you are only about two miles from your home." Annabelle dictated, taking in the familiar woodsy area.

"In about two paces, make a left."

Within moments before twilight, Bella safely reached the edge of the forest leading into her backyard. Her sight returned as she was met with a line of faces, staring at her with remorse.

"Bella, we are so sorry." Her grandma, Mary stepped forth to embrace her. Tearful sobs broke her calm façade. "This should not have happened."

_This among so many things_, Bella thought. Among oh so many things that should not have taken place.


	7. Bella at 17

A/N: And now I give you the conclusion of Only Little Girls…

* * *

Bella at 17

The days faded into weeks, the weeks formed into months. Not a thing would lift Bella from her state of agony. Bella could not control the sobs that built in her chest. They attached themselves to her throat as she struggled to take in every breath. The pain ebbed and flowed like a wave, the seasickness of her grief carrying her. It manifested in her house's knick-knacks, walls and even the blanket she had wrapped herself in. If she had but one more day with her parents, Bella would tell them how much she loved them.

All motivation ceased to exist in our young Bella. She did not attend University in the fall. Instead, she remained in her house and wallowed. Her Aunt Cheryl stayed with her as a plan had not yet been decided upon.

What was Bella to do with her life? Everything around her had lost all meaning and measure. She sat by and watched as everything and everyone around her moved at their continued steady pace. Was she but a burden? Surely these people, her aunt, the constant stream of neighbors expressing their condolences, would move on eventually. But how would Bella move past it herself?

"I lost my parents at a similar age, Bella." Annabelle sought to comfort. Annabelle thought that she must at least accept that from her. "My mother grew terribly sick a few short years after I lost my…" She stopped herself short, choosing her words carefully. "…Soon after that, my father could not bear to go on without my mother. He committed suicide not far long after her passing. Death surrounded me and took over my body, Bella. It would not let up and I persevered as best I could. You must continue to do so yourself. Your parents would want you to. They wouldn't want you to hole up in here forever."

"I feel there is nothing left here for me." Bella could not remove herself from the confines of her bed.

Annabelle, hearing these words of desperation, would not allow them to leach onto Bella. "Bella, you can not harm yourself. You mustn't! You have to get up! Take a walk, feel the Earth beneath your feet. Do not do anything rash!"

Bella, confused as all ever, turned aghast at Annabelle's outburst. "Please, Annabelle! Whatever do you think of me that I would even consider such an option?"

Annabelle lowered her voice to a soft whisper. "My dear, Bella. I'm sorry that I frightened you. I am nothing if not concerned for your well being. I must protect you from many things. Especially since the Creature is not a prominent feature in your life at this moment."

Oh the Creature.

She stared beyond the billowing curtains and into the depths of the forest. She had not returned there in quite some time. There had been so much lost. She had lost love in every which way she had possessed before.

Her heart ached with each thump against her ribcage whenever he was brought up in conversation. She missed him so. The times when there was not a worry in the world. The way he was intent on hearing her every word. Bella felt she had lost not only her parents that day, but her innocent infatuation with the Creature.

It was odd how Annabelle had become her prime supporter through this difficult of times. Not even her Aunt Cheryl was of a huge comfort; it was hard to deny that Cheryl was not aware of the numerous typical happenings in Bella's life. Annabelle tended to her every night, lending an ear when Bella so desperately needed one. Aunt Cheryl was incapable of truly understanding Bella's loss. She had not known the full extent of it. She could never know.

As she continued to exist, there was only one thing that was a shining beacon in Bella's life. Annabelle continued to tell of the story of the boy and girl. Bella found that these stories were a tremendous comfort. There were tales of happiness and picnics on the hills. Afternoon meetings that left Annabelle and Bella's cheeks blushing red. Then there were the quiet moments that the boy and girl cherished the most of all.

Bella had found that oh so many stories of this boy and girl were entirely relatable to her own gatherings with the Creature. This realization tugged at her heart, recognizing the missed opportunities she would not see with him now.

"You will have those again, Bella. Your life is but still young and I promise an utmost of happy endings. Time heals all kinds of wounds, even if it seems so far out of reach. When you think all hope has been lost, it returns to you in spades."

Bella noticed that Annabelle's desperation gradually dissipated into the background. Instead, it was replaced with candor and guidance. There would be no more drastic moves or frightening emotional outbursts.

This continued on into the summer before Bella would reach the age of seventeen.

At the end of August, it had been decided that Bella would move with her aunt to the opposite coast. The house would be sold at a point, but it was important to Bella to leave behind the loss, pain and hurt. There would be a new place for her to continue future memories.

"And you are absolutely sure that this is what you desire?"

Bella cast a glance to Annabelle. _So much had yet to be seen, _Bella thought, _how can I desire what I have not seen yet?_

"Blindness is not something to be feared, Bella. It is to be embraced. I know you have found it hard over the years with the Creature blinding you in his presence, but he has done it to protect you. Not only is the inability to see done to help you, but to allow the Creature and you more time."

Oh the Creature and the despicable time conundrum! "Annabelle, if you'll forgive me, I do not want to embark on this territory just yet. I do see what you are trying to enlighten me with, but I wish to not hear it. I am still concerned with finishing my familial duties now, before I must set off to the East."

Annabelle watched our fair Bella remove herself gradually from any sort of future with the Creature. The memories that Bella had cherished slowly faded from her mind. The times in the forest were now thought about less and even dissected brutally; Bella had even delved for clues into how the Creature really truly treated her.

This was what she wanted. This was what _Bella _wanted for herself.

**/.../**

"What a fantastic way to turn a new page in my life than with a new haircut?" Bella lay on her bed, flipping through a magazine. There were so many choices among the glossy pages. Bella was not sure what possessed her to think of such a thing, but the thought refreshed her.

"I think it is a marvelous idea. You have such a transformative face; you could be someone new in a second." Annabelle stood next to Bella's bed, twirling the ends of her own hair.

Bella had gone through a total of five publications, but none struck her appeal. With a hard smack to the floor, she dropped them beside her bed.

She eyed Annabelle, who had found her way to the warbler in the corner. It had grown terribly ill lately and Bella knew that she could not take her feathered companion with her. She must let it go in the forest, let it live out its last days among its natural habitat. _Yet another thing from my life disappearing_, Bella thought. There seemed to be no constants anymore, making her feel unsettled.

There was but one thing that hardly ever left her though.

They've had their troubles, but Annabelle was ever present and willingly so. She had not seen her so much as sneeze or portray sickness. Annabelle seemed to defy time as well, not aging a wink over seventeen. Even her clothes and hair remained the same.

Bella had never taken notice of these appearances before and yet, they should've been noted. Did Annabelle not have other garments or someone to trim her hair? The hairstyle she sported was not a horrible one by any means, but certainly Annabelle would love a brand new blouse or dress.

"Annabelle, pray tell me why you only suit yourself in one article of clothing? And have you considered styling your hair in a different fashion?"

Annabelle ran her hands along her dress, fixing it just right. "Dear Bella, I only care to wear one thing. This dress is very sentimental and I wish to never wear anything else for as long as I exist."

"Ah, I see. I'm sorry, I was merely curious."

"It's quite alright. Actually, this dress belonged to the girl in those stories I've told you about. Do you remember them? The ones with the girl and the boy?"

The story had never left Bella's mind. "Yes, I do."

"Well, that girl was a dear, dear friend of mine. She could not bear to rid of it, but did not want it around to remind her of what she had lost. Instead, she gave it to me. I've kept it close ever since then."

Bella looked over Annabelle's dress. It danced between the line of off-white and white. The sleeves of it were bare, but they were innocently so. The skirt was tiered with numerous long layers and floated like air around Annabelle's body. A soft flower knot accented the back delicately.

"I must say that it is a beautiful piece."

"I think so too."

"And what of your hair?"

"I can't comment too much on my haircut. I haven't seen it in years. What do you think of it?"

Annabelle's hair fell in a similar manner to Bella's, with the exception that uniform bangs framed her face. She could've looked child-like but somehow, it was more ethereal.

"I think it's gorgeous." Bella secretly wondered if it would look just the same on her.

"Where's your mirror?" Annabelle asked.

"The vanity is just over there. Why?"

"Let's see if you can't pull it off." Bella guided Annabelle.

"Oh Annabelle, how do you know what's on my mind?"

"Because. I'm in your head, silly."

Bella fixed her skirt underneath, before sitting in front of the mirror.

"Now, I can only guide you from memory on how to attempt to cut it like so. But, I trust that you could judge when something doesn't feel right."

"Yes, I can."

Annabelle smiled, enjoying where this was headed. "Okay, do you have a pair of shears?"

In no time at all, Bella's new hairstyle resembled that of her imaginary counterpart.

"It's positively marvelous. I had never thought of myself as a bangs person, but this is downright perfect." Bella fawned over the brand new 'her'. For the first time in who knows how long, she was ecstatic.

"I'm sure it suits you splendidly."

"It may be my favorite haircut I'd ever had."

Annabelle stood, hands folded in front of her, by the open window. The wind blew against her gently, a smile forming. It was a smile of accomplishment, one of undeniable joy of what is to come from a task well done.

**/.../**

A week before Bella was due to leave her home, she spent time in the attic going through her parent's belongings. There were boxes upon boxes that could not be taken with her. Many of them were old garbs which would be too much to carry across the country.

Bella would have gone through it all sooner, but her heart was too battered and broken to think about it. Aunt Cheryl had offered to help, and did so for a short period of time, but Bella knew that this had to be done on her own. It did not feel right to have someone on the outside lending a hand to this cause.

Her mother had a plethora of boxes. Most of them were pertaining to Bella herself or the days when Renee danced. She scanned through the numerous headlines from her hometown paper, portraying the gifted Renee Dwyer. Bella had felt proud that she had been published like her mother; Renee's long legs stretched across the frame of the photo, it reminded Bella of the pictures she took of birds in mid-flight.

Bella finally reached her father's keepsakes. It contained all of Charlie's fishing materials. Her father's fishing poles and tackle box were donated to his best friend, Billy. Billy graciously accepted them, promising to use them in his honor. Charlie did not have many clothes to begin with, but Bella kept a few of his flannel shirts. Nothing smelled like home more than the scent of the woods on his clothes.

At this very thought, Bella's eyes welled with crocodile tears.

_Why must the world be so cruel to me_, thought Bella. Oh the unkind world! Bella could not have foreseen this tragedy. There were no warnings or underlying foreshadows. Were there really truly undiscovered signs out there that could've saved her parents?

She quickly affirmed that there was no sense in picking apart the past. Bella shook off her brief moment of grief and concentrated on the more immediate things at hand.

Hours later, the attic had fully been turned upside down and right side up. Every box and bin gone through; every memory glanced at and pondered.

All but except one.

Renee was not a well organized woman. Every piece of storage was scattered around with no definitive order. All similar items were in the same containers, but not in the same area.

This was how Bella came upon the final bin of clothing of Renee Dwyer's. It was labeled 'Fanciful and wise'. Bella shook her head, _never the typical for Mother._ She unsnapped the lid and feasted her eyes at the gorgeous sight in front of her.

It was a dazzling array of elegant dresses. They varied in style and sophistication. My, a girl would have had a field day trying all of these on!

"Bella, you are awfully quiet. Whatever are you doing?" Annabelle appeared a not so far distant away.

"I'm sorry; I've been enjoying something."

"What is it?"

"I've happened upon old dresses of my mother's."

"Oh how wonderful! Are they of a suitable nature?"

"Yes, they are in perfect condition."

Bella held one of the dresses in her hands. The ruby red silkiness glided between her fingers. Peeking inside the bin, every piece of clothing looked to be begging to be tried on. To be lived in a little bit. There was no harm in trying these on.

What girl doesn't love to dress up even if she had no particular place to go?

For the next hour, Bella popped in and out of a dozen dresses. She twirled around, watching the material below her waist balloon out, the wind picking it up and tickling her legs. She swung the skirt in her hands, even pretending to tap dance.

Bella pulled out the last few items, lying at the bottom of the bin. "Oh Annabelle, are you positive you don't want-."

Before she could finish her train of thought, the very last dress stopped her in her tracks.

"What is it, Bella?"

She wrapped her fingers around the material, the dress hanging longer and longer as it ascended from the bin.

"It's…"

"What?"

"It's….your dress. Only its not. It's a tad shorter, possibly a shade brighter, but it's…your dress."

Annabelle was quick to dispel. "Your mother obviously has wonderful taste."

"I guess so…"

"Are you bothered at this discovery?"

"Not quite. It must be a coincidence, unless you somehow knew this dress existed." There had to be nothing else. What other option would there be?

"No, I only know what you know. It's obvious you were unaware what your mother owned."

Dwelling on such a silly concept other than coincidence only provided headaches and time wasted. "It is a rather pretty dress."

"Really? You like it?"

"Yes. It has an air of subtle beauty that one may not notice until they see it up close."

Annabelle stepped closer to Bella, taking her own steps in her head at a slightly slower pace. "It fits wonderfully too. All clothing should be made like such."

Oh if only Renee could see her now, looking lovely as ever in a dress of her own.

**/.../**

Two days before Bella was set to depart, she made the decision to set the warbler free. Although its true home was miles away, it fit appropriately to let it find its way back to where it belonged.

The tiny bird stood on her finger, staring into the eyes of the face it knew so well. It had cared for it through bouts of sickness and the confines of a cage. The warbler was aware of some of the trepidations and secrets Bella had manifested out loud.

Tiptoeing to the end of Bella's finger, its wings fluttered and launched a couple of feet above her head. Bella watched as the bird remained suspended in the air, seemingly unsure about how to proceed.

"It's okay, little bird. I'm setting you free." She coaxed it forward, shooing it into the trees. "You will move back in with your family and friends. I'm positive they are waiting for your return."

The warbler insisted on floating in air, disobeying its owner.

"Are you afraid? I understand. It is not easy returning to what you once knew. Or experiencing a whole new predicament."

The bird chirped, tilting its head slightly toward the opening to the forest in her backyard. The same path Bella had ventured down many a time ago.

"Silly, bird. I can not go with you. I am ill-equipped for such a trip." She gestured to Annabelle's dress she had tried on in the attic.

"Bella, why are you to deny a true friend the help it so desperately needs?" Annabelle stood next to the bird.

"I am not denying, I'm…not dressed properly."

"There is never a time to be properly anything. You've journeyed into the woods with fancier clothes before."

Bella knew this to be true, but it was the memory of this fateful path that left her hesitant. There were so many reasons to help the little bird but there were also other obstacles that stood in her way. But what of the bird? Was it not as frightened and unsure as she was? She knew this trail as if it were carved on the back of her hand. A little extra guidance for as long as she could handle was not out of line for her, was it?

"Okay, little warbler. I will stick with you through some of the journey, but there is only so far I can go. Is that understandable?"

The warbler, as if knowing what she was speaking, gave a slight nod.

"I'll be right behind you. You may flutter forwards and upwards."

The bird took its first flaps ever so gently, essentially feeling out the area it knew only through the tiny glimpses it had through Bella's window every now and then.

Bella followed suit as a significant swell built in her chest. Oh how she will miss this greenery dearly. The smell of the wood as she stood mere inches from some of the grandest of trees in all of Earth. The bugs that scurried about on the muddy floor. The animals that greeted her whenever she passed them by.

There was no way for her to turn back. There was nowhere else for her to go but away from here.

She truly wished to be like the warbler she was guiding.

**/.../**

Soon, the sun was beginning to set. The bird and Bella were getting quite close to the one area that would bring about unbridled emotions.

"Warbler, I'm feeling a tad ill. Are you at ease to continue on without me?"

Unexpectedly, the warbler sped up.

"Wait, I wanted to say goodbye!" Bella lifted the skirt of her dress as her feet struggled to keep pace with the freely flying bird.

And then, it was out of her sight. But, something else entirely encompassed her vision.

The circular area was still the same. The rock they shared many an afternoon on was still intact. It was a natural mausoleum of the moments they once had.

Bella stepped lightly to the rock, running her fingers along the uneven edges. "This is all I have left. A simple piece of Earth that does not know of anything it had been cherished with."

"I would not say so, Isabella." The Creature's voice spoke from an unknown place.

Bella was frozen in place, unsure how to proceed. She wanted to say so much, but nothing would come up.

"I am terribly sorry that you are leaving. I have had fond times with you that were truly unforgettable."

The best way to go about this was silence, as Bella remained still. Her eyes blurred once again.

"This whole…blindness through the years must've been disconcerting for you."

Bella nodded.

"I can only imagine spending time with someone you know so well and not having the chance to know who they are physically."

Bella nodded once again.

"Which is why, I will be granting you your wish. It is my gift to you before you leave this forest. I will allow you to see me."

Bella gasped her breathing unsteady. It had been her one true desire for oh so long. Looking into the eyes of the Creature to see what he had been feeling. To catch even a glimpse of his face would fulfill many life long destines. "Oh, that would be the most wonderful thing to happen."

"I must warn you. I will not be what you have always expected. I can only wish that you still care for me after all these years."

"Do you think I am vain? If it is one thing I have learned, image is nothing. You must have feelings and soul."

"This is of utmost joy for me to hear. Now please, stand over here." The Creature gently held Bella's hand, placing her a couple of feet from their rock. "I will reveal myself now."

Slowly, her vision became clearer and clearer. She had always wondered the source of the cloudiness; was it a special magic the Creature bestowed upon her in his presence or a natural reaction to ones of her kind?

Right in front of Bella, the Creature's skin was…glittering. But, it was dissipating slowly, as if he were letting down his shield. The bright light coming off of the Creature's skin was the harshest sun glare she had ever experienced. Her eyes wanted to look elsewhere, but they were intoxicated by the tiny fragments that danced before her.

In a matter of seconds, Bella fell to her knees. A pierce tugging and pulling was tearing her mind apart. She groaned and struggled under the pressure that had hit her like a wrecking ball. Worst of all, her eyes. The retina felt like it was being burned and torn apart and her eyes would fall on the ground among the leaves and bugs.

She screamed as her eyes continued to throb and torture her. If she could've torn out her eyes at that point and the relief would go away, she wouldn't have minded staying blind forever.

"My love?" The Creature kneeled down beside her; his cold hand rest against her shoulder. In a brief moment between the pain, she wondered why he had called her 'love'. There was not a time before where he had called her this.

"Please, it hurts." Tears were falling freely from her eyes. "It won't stop."

The Creature sat quietly, doing nothing to ease the pain.

Behind Bella's eyelids, she saw all of her moments she had spent with the Creature. This time though, they were as clear as day.

He was beautiful. A gorgeous smile when he first appeared to her. Glowing golden eyes when she showed up in her favorite yellow dress. The look of utter want when he moved the strap back up her shoulder. The pain on his face when she wailed and cried for her dead mother and father.

Cried because he wouldn't let her see him.

The sensation was like that of a vacuum. In an instant, or a century, she saw her life flash before her eyes. Her memories pulled from her body and floated out into the day. But, that was not the end of it. There were other memories, other habits being embedded into her being.

From her toes, she felt them get longer. Her legs stretched, her hips widening, her waist cinching. Her whole body's makeup was being rearranged.

Her heart, the beats ticked to a different rhythm.

Bella looked into the eyes of the Creature and she saw it. The deception that she had hoped wasn't there, but it was. Oh how it was.

Finally, her mind. The memories of her life were being erased. They crumbled into grains of sand until they were so small, no one would know the difference.

And then she was down on the ground. Her limp body not hers anymore.

The Creature was at the body's side, lifting her shoulders off the ground. He waited.

The searing pain had subsided, allowing the eyes to blink and regain vision. She stared at the ground for a few moments, giving her eyes a breather. A hand came into her sight, one that seemed familiar to her at a time long ago. Traveling from the hand, up his arm and all the way past his shoulder, neck and face.

His face. She had seen it before. Not over the past eight years, but longer. So long ago.

The Creatures face transformed in that instant, his eyes coating with recognition and joy.

"It's you." He cupped her face with his hands, staring at her like she was the most beautiful girl in the world. "Annabelle." He shakily whispered.

Her mind clicked on like a family turning on the lights to their brand new house. She realized who she was staring at. Who she had always loved to stare at.

"Edward!" Annabelle flung her arms around her Edward.

They held each other like a couple hugging for the first time after a husband's long tour of duty overseas.

"I have waited for you for so long." Edward smiled into her hair, his hand fisting the delicate strands. "Only seeing you through her every day hurt the most."

"I had hoped I would see you again. Every day I wished for you until she came along." She stepped back to take in her love from long ago. His hair, still that color she couldn't miss from miles away. His face, still boyishly handsome with sharp cheekbones she loved to trace just before they kiss. But, his eyes. Why were his eyes an amber color and not that of pine? "Edward, you are the same man I knew, but there is a difference I can't put my finger on. Would you like to enlighten me?"

"My love, I am the same but I am different." Edward unwound his arms from around her and stood up. "I have lived through decades and decades. I have seen many that I should not have seen. It may be hard to comprehend, but I hope you still accept me for what I have become."

Annabelle knew that there was nothing that would make her love him any less. If he had doubts, they were ill advised. "What have you become?"

"That night before our wedding, I was transformed into one who seeks out blood to live." Edward gazed into Annabelle's eyes, reaching for her hand, but stopped short and held her finger tips instead.

"I had always wondered what happened to you all these years."

"I care not to share the details with you at the moment, but I'm afraid this life I am a part of now is for forever. Nothing will change and I will live on for all eternity."

"That is wonderful because I would never dream of giving you up."

Edward frowned, bowing his head to the ground. "It is not a life that you are capable of or equipped for at the moment."

"What are you telling me, Edward? Am I not desired in your new life?"

"No." Edward quickly took Annabelle's face, rubbing her cheeks with his thumbs. "That is not what I am saying or what I wish."

"Then pray tell what it is you are conveying?"

"I would have to turn you into what I am."

Annabelle considered this. What would she become to be with Edward? Anything and everything. "I've waited so long for you, my love. I need to know that this is real and that you are not only in my imagination."

Edward kissed Annabelle's lips, savoring it once again and for the last time. "I'm as real as you want me to be."

Annabelle and Edward joined hands, spending a few precious moments together before Edward transformed his fair Annabelle.

And so, the boy and the girl were reunited for all eternity.

And let this be a lesson. Only little girls shall get lost in an imaginary world, but when it teeters into the real, they must let it go. If they do not find their way back, they might end up being lost to their own minds.

Or pulled into devious minds that will lead them astray.

_The End  
_

* * *

A/N: I hope all of you enjoyed this weird sort of fairytale. I honestly don't know where the hell it came from. Sometimes your mind takes you to strange places.

Thanks again to my friend and beta, Bublichka.

I never expected anyone to give a T-rated story like this a chance, so thanks again to everyone that has read, reviewed and recommended this story.

Until next time…


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